


High School Holtzy Makes a Friend

by MeganRosenberg



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Attempted Sexual Assault, Bullying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Female Friendship, Friendship, Gen, Ghosts, Haunting, High School, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Physical Abuse, Protectiveness, School, Science, Sexual Assault, Sexual Violence, Teenagers, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Threats of Violence, Violence, protective Erin Gilbert, protective abby yates, protective patty tolan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2019-11-13 15:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 27
Words: 101,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18034304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeganRosenberg/pseuds/MeganRosenberg
Summary: Jillian Holtzmann, a thirteen-year-old freshman in high school is a social misfit and an easy target for bullies, but finally manages to make friends with some fellow weirdos when fate and/or a common interest in ghosts brings them together.  While Jillian bonds with her new friends, her bullies escalate and a possible issue with a ghost haunting the school arises.  She and her friends investigate the ghost while the threats and actions of those who torment her grow increasingly violent and terrifying.





	1. Jillian's Only Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Note: I took a bit of inspiration from myself (narcissist) in coming up with this idea. In a couple of my other ghostbusters stories, I included little anecdotes about Holtzmann's high school years - bullies she dealt with and such - but rather than expanding upon those small bits, I have taken inspiration only so that I can include Erin, Abby, Patty, and Kevin too. The events in this do not necessarily line up with the stories she mentioned or thought about in my other stories, though some mentioned characters do show up and they are similar to how they were previously described. Even though my story with the longest "high school Holtzy" bit in it includes a character I actually really like - one Gretta Gill - I don't think she fits in this story because her presence would steal too much spotlight from the other Ghostbusters. In the previously written anecdote including her in my other story "No More Secrets," she's like a second main-character, and I just don't feel like taking that spot away from the other ladies in favor of an original character. For this story, I wanted Holtzy's main allies to be Abby, Erin, Patty, and Kevin - not original characters. I know their ages don't line up - they never could have all attended high school together... But I'm making it happen. Here are their ages and class levels:
> 
> Patty - 18, senior
> 
> Erin - 17, junior
> 
> Abby - 17, junior
> 
> Kevin - 16, sophomore
> 
> Jillian - 13, freshman
> 
> Remember too that Holtzmann is a baby thirteen year old in this. She's younger than everyone around her. She has no friends, and is easily intimidated by bullies. She's not as confident and strong as she is as an adult. I'm trying to keep her (and the others) in character, but they're also teenagers. They're not going to be completely the same people that they are as adults... they'll be similar, of course, but they're high school kids. They may not always respond to life the way a rational adult would.
> 
> Jillian also doesn't know any of the other characters at the start of this story. She'll meet them one at a time as the story progresses. There's 27 chapters and she meets them one at a time in a way that hopefully flows realistically, so don't get discouraged that it takes a minute for her to meet all of them. Each of the five original Ghostbusters characters play a rather large role in this, so be patient. They'll be here. Every single one of the other characters shares multiple scenes with Holtzmann in which they are sort of co-starring, with lots of moments where they are either protective, supportive, or just being cute friendzies. Patty has been my favorite second-character to write, but I tried out giving each of them that position at different points in this, and I ended up loving writing scenes for every single one of them. I even edited my original plan to include more chapters where Erin or Abby is the second main character after Holtzy because I didn't realize how much I'd love writing scenes with them opposite my main character. So if you're reading this and thinking "WHERE'S ERIN, DAMMIT!" just calm down and wait. She'll be here. She's the last one Jillian meets, but she's very important.
> 
> I also refer to Holtzmann as "Jillian" a lot in here, as I don't know of many thirteen year olds who go by their last names. I do sort of introduce the idea of some of her friends calling her Holtzmann or Holtzy though. The narration refers to her as Jillian throughout in order to be consistent. I hope no one minds that. I've already taken the liberty of having Kevin in particular call her Jillian in a few of my previous stories. She introduced herself to him as "Jillian Holtzmann" in the film and I could see Kevin naturally choosing to use her first name... They didn't interact much on-screen, so I mostly created their friendship completely in my own mind. Anyway, if it seems out of character for anyone in here to be calling her Jillian, remember they're in high school. It's sort of an alternate universe, as the characters in the film didn't meet as teenagers. I think I have Kevin and Erin call her Jillian if I remember right... and Kevin calls her Jill sometimes. Just wait and see and don't get too hung up on it.
> 
> My unsolicited over-explanation is complete now. Enjoy the story:

xxxxxx

Chapter 1: Jillian's Only Friend  
Monday: Lunch

xxxxxx

Jillian walked slowly and cautiously toward the cafeteria, gripping both straps of her back pack in sweaty hands as she went. She had gotten into the habit of not even taking her lunch out of her bag until she knew no one was going to mess with her. Too often, bad things happened when she walked into the room with the expectation of being left alone.

Lunch had become one of her least-favorite parts of the school day over the years, mostly because after about second grade, she had stopped being able to relate to and make friends with anyone. She wasn't sure why she couldn't seem to connect with people. A lot of people laughed when she made jokes, but never asked her to come over to play after school. Other kids enjoyed her helping them with their homework, but never invited her to their birthday parties. Her classmates thought she was weird, and she felt weird. She didn't know how to talk to people like normal kids. Any time she talked she could see people's facial expressions growing confused or annoyed... So she kind of stopped trying, and that made people even more reluctant to include her.

This problem was only made worse in recent years when she skipped a grade and ended up being the only thirteen year old in a really cliquey high school. She was younger than everyone else, but smarter than most of them. They didn't like that. They weren't interested in her fascination with science and ghosts and building things. No one wanted to talk about the same things she did, and she was accused of being pretentious, weird, a freak... Someone even asked if she was an alien once. She was pretty sure they were kidding, but maybe they weren't. Maybe she should have asked.

No one in the school even talked to her anymore unless they were being mean. The closest thing she had to a friend was Sammie Norris - another brainy young girl in her Chemistry class. They were both members of the after school science club. Both of them were considered weird by their peers, and both of them were treated like garbage. But Sammie's dad recognized that she was being bullied and came and picked her up for lunch literally every day. Jillian was never invited. Maybe they weren't such good friends after all. Friends had to talk to each other outside of two or three sentences a day during Chemistry class, right?

A real friend would have noticed that Jillian was being picked on too, and would have asked her dad if she could join them. If Jillian had a parent willing to take her away during lunch every day, and Sammie didn't, Jillian would have invited the other girl. They weren't real friends. Just because everyone hated both of them didn't mean they really liked each other that much.

Jillian inhaled a soft gasp as she neared the cafeteria enough to see its entrance. Two senior boys were lingering near the doorway. She knew these boys, and she didn't like them. They definitely didn't like her either, and made that fact very well known during the first months of her high school experience. Their names were Michael and Richard - and they were among the people who were the absolute meanest to her in the entire school.

From the day she started here, these boys and Michael's brother Bryan had been so needlessly cruel to her. At first, they accused her of being at the wrong school because she was so obviously younger than everyone else. They made jokes later about the day care being down the street. She tried to take it as a joke at least. She tried to laugh along with them and pretend like the joke wasn't at her own expense. She learned early on that taking bullies' words too seriously and getting defensive just made things worse. She had tried to laugh it off.

But when she very first met them, they hadn't been as obviously mean. In the first few minutes of her knowing them, she honestly didn't know they were making fun of her. She thought they were just talking to her - just trying to be helpful... She didn't know. She hadn't properly read their smirks back and forth to each other, or their laughter at everything she said, or their fake confusion when they asked her name. She just thought they were weird, but harmless.

They had asked her if she knew she was at the high school, and she didn't know they were making a joke. She was young, and it did make sense for someone to assume she should be at the middle school instead. She thought they were trying to be helpful, so she just told them that she knew where she was - that she skipped a grade and was supposed to be here. They kept talking to her, and she kept not realizing they were making fun of her. They asked her name; she told them. They acted like they couldn't hear or make sense of it and called her 'Jellian,' then 'Jellyfish,' and then just 'Jelly.' She honestly just thought they had never heard the name 'Jillian' before and were stupid. She didn't know they were being mean. Not until Michael offered to carry her books for her and show her where her first class was and then proceeded to walk her to the boy's locker room, open the door, and throw all her books down the stairs.

The two boys stood there with her at the top of the stairs, telling her to go down and get them, but to watch out that her baby eyes didn't see any dicks. They hadn't grabbed her and tried to force her to go down there, which she realized now was very lucky. They wouldn't have held back in such a way now... But she couldn't bring herself to go down those stairs. Not with them watching. They stayed and laughed until the first bell rang and then finally left her awkwardly standing at the top of the stairs by herself. They made her late to her first class.

And that was how she started high school - as a lost thirteen year old girl, waiting for Michael and Richard to leave before sprinting down the stairs to retrieve her books. The boys in the locker room had laughed at her too. One of them asked if she wanted a tour. Another suggested she should stay and get undressed too. He said it was the boys' locker room, but none of them would mind. He called her 'Ghost Tits' but said even tiny tits were better than nothing and that he would give her candy if she showed him. The nickname spread a bit. People she didn't even know called her Ghost Tits for a couple weeks. Then she was mostly forgotten again - but Michael and Richard hadn't forgotten her. Neither had Michael's brother Bryan.

She stuck her lower lip out as she stared down the hallway at Richard and Michael, standing smugly near the doorway, asking certain younger kids to pay them a dollar to get through. Shaking her head and spinning right back around, Jillian walked briskly away. She wasn't going to deal with them today. Sitting at a table in the lunch room wasn't worth having to walk past them. She doubted they'd let her get away with just paying up her dollar and being on her way either. It was actually very likely they were waiting specifically for her and just collecting money in the meantime. She didn't even have a dollar anyway.

So she hefted her backpack up onto her shoulders and headed downstairs, toward the basement. She had learned over these past few months of high school that if she pulled the door to the basement storage room back and then lifted it slightly up off the hinges, she could open it without a key. She just had to make sure to not close it completely while she was inside. She wasn't sure if she could get back through on the inside, and wasn't eager to risk having to try.

She pulled and lifted the door and slipped inside, flipping on the light switch and exhaling as she was greeted with what was becoming a strangely comforting sight: stacks of extra desks and chairs, a small stack of spare trash cans, a bag of deflated basketballs, and rows of empty shelves.

Jillian made her way over to her usual corner, placing her back pack atop the desk she always used when she came here. It was a teacher desk, so it was really big. She sat down on a slightly wobbly - but pretty comfortable office chair and swiveled it up to the desk as she went through her back pack. For lunch today, she had brought a sleeve of chips a'hoy cookies and a can of Mt. Dew. She placed them on the desk and took out her notebook.

Presently, she was working on a device that detected ghosts and was pretty sure she'd figured out a few components to change on a device she had already constructed to finally get it to work properly. She just had to look at her notes and put the rest of it together.

She was pretty sure either the school was haunted, or she was losing her mind. Fairly often when she was down here, and a few times at night after Science Club - when she was waiting all by herself for her always-late mother to come pick her up, Jillian had seen an unexplained green glow, and once could have sworn she heard a voice calling her name. She had seen locker doors open and close by themselves, books fall off shelves... If the school wasn't haunted, Jillian figured she needed to be evaluated for brain disorders.

Every time the strange green glow showed up, she happened to be alone. She didn't know any other kids well enough to ask them if they'd seen it without risking them telling her she was a weird freak and laughing at her, but she knew something weird was going on. The lights always flickered too - apparently only where she was though. The one time she asked someone else if they saw the lights go out, the other kid had stared at her like she was crazy and ignored her. So whatever the spirit (or whatever it was) was doing affected only the lights in the general area - not in the whole building.

She took her device out of her back pack, along with a zip lock bag containing wires, screws, a screw driver, and a tiny vial of green goo she had found down here last week. If her calculations were right, rewiring a few things on the inside and including the sample as a sort of biological magnet to the spirit it came from might do the trick. It was not an easy science to master considering most people didn't even believe in ghosts these days.

As she munched on her cookies, Jillian reworked her invention, switching some wires around, taking some wires out all together, and working in her prized sample. She attached her wires to the battery, and immediately gasped and dropped the device onto the desk when it started beeping and the light on the front began blinking wildly.

The battery became dislodged when she dropped her invention. It rolled off the desk and across the floor, stopping when it hit a spare shelf lined up against the wall.

Jillian swallowed and looked around herself. "Hello?" She squeaked. The usual green glow wasn't here. The lights weren't flickering... Maybe her device didn't work. Maybe it was gonna beep and blink no matter what... Maybe she had done it wrong...

She exhaled and closed her eyes. Perhaps she really was going nuts. Not having any friends, being constantly scared of bullies, being ignored by her family... Maybe it was all finally catching up with her.

As she stood to retrieve her battery, Jillian paused and shrunk down as the lights began to flicker and a green glow filled the room. This had happened before... She wasn't exactly scared. Nothing bad had ever come of the strange, eerie green light. She was just confused about why it always showed up whenever she was alone and never any other time. If it was a ghost, what did it want? Why did it only linger around her? Why didn't it ever try to communicate with her?

"Hey... If you're there... If you're a ghost and you're just hanging out watching me..." Jillian trailed off, not totally sure if she should invite a potential spirit to show itself or otherwise interact with her. She swallowed nervously and exhaled. She'd been trying to figure out what these weird glowing encounters were for months... She couldn't expect the spirit to talk to her if she didn't even ask.

"J-just talk to me..." Jillian forced herself to speak up again, quickly turning her shaking words into a joke. "I could really use a fuckin' friend. I don't care if they're alive or dead at this point."

She looked around the room as the green glow continued illuminating the basement. Nothing else happened. She exhaled and rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm not staying if you won't even talk to me. All you're good for is light, and it's not even good lighting." She piled her things back into her bag and headed toward the door, but as soon as she neared it, it slammed shut. She gasped and stared at the door with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open. Did it lock? She didn't know how to open it from the inside!

With a small whimper, she grabbed at the handle and tried to twist the knob. She shoved against the door with her hands, then with her shoulder. It was definitely locked. "Oh my god..." She looked nervously around herself. She had no way of telling anyone she was stuck down here. She didn't have a phone. Her parents wouldn't let her get one. Though they mostly ignored her existence, they did decide to step in and refuse to let her have a phone because they feared it would become a tool for bullies to use against her. Little did they know, not having a phone was just another thing for everyone to make fun of her for. She also couldn't even call for help in the likely scenario that someone might try to legitimately murder her. And now she was locked in the basement with a probable ghost.

"Let me out!" She slammed her hand against the door and then tried to push and lift it the way she got it to open from the outside. It wasn't working.

Jillian turned back to face the rest of the room. "I didn't do anything to you!" She pouted. Why would the ghost lock her in? She just wanted to make friends... Was that too much to ask? For even a dead spirit to not treat her like garbage.

With an annoyed growl in her throat, Jillian turned back toward the door and pushed at it again, trying the handle even though she knew it was still locked.

"Your classmates are very cruel to you." An unfamiliar voice spoke.

Jillian shrunk down and looked behind her. She still saw nothing but the green glow.

"I can be the friend you're looking for." The voice continued.

"W-well..." Jillian swallowed. "If you're my friend, could you open the door... Let me go...?"

"I don't mean to scare you, Love." The voice continued. "You said you wanted a friend. Then you up and started walking out before giving me a chance to respond."

"Oh." Jillian bit her lip and felt her shoulders slump as she looked around the room. "I thought you were ignoring me..."

"Not at all. I'm naturally skeptical of the living. Didn't get along with them when I was one of them. Don't get along with them now." The voice explained. "But I have been a silent observer around here, and I think you and I could be able to form a bond with each other which we couldn't form with anyone else."

Jillian narrowed her eyes. That sounded like perhaps a little much. A bond like no other? She didn't know this ghost at all. And 'silent observer' sounded like a nice little euphemism for 'stalker.' As much as she wanted a friend, she wasn't sure it would be wise to agree to a 'bond' with this guy... or thing... What did that even mean?

"I see you're alone in this world." The voice reminded her.

Swallowing and frowning, Jillian looked down. "Yeah." She spoke in a small voice. She was alone. She had no friends, her family barely noticed her... She was one of the best students in the school academically and even the teachers didn't seem to like her. "I think I'm weird." She finally looked back up and shrugged with a breathless laugh. "I wish I could see you..." She added, unsure of where to look while talking to this entity.

"I was called weird too. They called me a creep, a freak, a loser..." The mysterious voice went on. "I had no friends. Students were cruel to me. Teachers were cruel to me."

Jillian swallowed. "What did they do?" She whispered. Even the teachers were mean to him? The teachers weren't exactly Jillian's friends, but she couldn't claim they actively bullied her. Only the other kids did. Teachers had a habit of ignoring things they shouldn't, pretending not to notice bruises and tears, but they never harassed her themselves.

"No one would sit by me at lunch. I started just coming down here by myself." He told her. "Kids pushed me, tripped me, threw balled up paper at the back of my head. Spit balls..."

"What did the teachers do?" Jillian frowned.

"Told the kids to stop... but while laughing. They'd do this cute little hide-behind-their hand giggle, while trying to fake being upset that the kids were harassing me. No one took it seriously. No one respected me." The voice went on.

"I'm sorry." Jillian frowned. She wasn't sure if she should keep talking to this entity, but hearing that he had been through similar things to what she experienced every day made it very tempting for her to open up to him. What harm could it do? "The teachers don't really laugh at me... but they ignore stuff." She explained. "The other kids bump into me and pretend it was an accident, knock books out of my hands, call me names... Sometimes they hurt me on purpose... by shoving me against lockers or the wall, tripping me. The older boys say really crude stuff. Sometimes I don't even know what it all means... but I know it's dirty."

"It is." The voice sounded low and serious. "I've heard what they say to you, and it's wildly inappropriate and vulgar. It would be obscene even to say to adult women. They're much older than you are. You're a beautiful, delicate young girl. Those young men should be being kind and gentle with you."

Jillian scoffed. That was kind of over the top. "Beautiful?" She laughed.

"Of course." The voice didn't seem to think his choice in adjectives was as funny as Jillian did.

"So... when you were alive, were you interested in science?" Jillian smiled, changing the subject away from her physical appearance and toward something more interesting. As weird as it was to accept friendship from an actual ghost, she couldn't claim it wasn't better than nothing. Why not have a friend who is a glowing green spirit? No one else would talk to her. This guy would.

The voice laughed. "Not so much."

"Oh." Jillian looked around the room. "What did you like to do then?"

"I watched people a lot. I figured them out." The voice told her.

Jillian nodded. She could understand that - not as like a hobby, but just something someone might do as a defense mechanism. "I do that too, I guess. To an extent... I think before I speak - usually don't end up speaking at all." She laughed. "I've gotta get a good read on someone before I trust them enough to open up. Most of them don't pass the test."

"And what test would that be?" The stranger asked.

"If they're glaring at me, it's a no-go." Jillian laughed. "If they look at me, elbow their friend and say something and they both laugh? That's a good sign I should stay away. If they stare at me like I'm circus freak... Usually any boys who travel in pairs or groups... Girls who look really pretty and give me that look like I don't deserve to exist because I'm not pretty too. People who look nervous when I start talking to them and have to look around the room to make sure no one sees they're speaking to someone as unworthy as I am. Mostly, I just don't talk to anyone."

"That may be for the best. Most people aren't worth your time." The voice spoke.

Jillian exhaled and nodded. "I'm kind of hoping someone out there is. I just haven't met them yet. It'd be nice to have friends. I know I'm weird, but I don't think I've done anything that bad. Surely there's someone out in the world who would actually like me if they gave me a chance."

"Now you have me." The voice reminded her.

"Yeah." Jillian shrugged. She supposed that would do for now. She didn't want to tell this guy, but she did still hope for more. She could accept a ghost's friendship, but that wasn't going to cut it for the rest of her life. She really wanted a friend who was alive. At least one. That didn't seem like too much to ask.

"Do you want me to do something about those boys?" The voice asked.

Jillian felt her breath catch in her throat. "N-no..." She stammered, shaking her head. She didn't want some paranormal being hurting anyone in her name - not even Michael and his minions.

"Okay..." The voice agreed. "Let me know if you change your mind. If we're friends, I want to look out for you. It seems I'm all you have. I can protect you. They'd never bother you again if you let me."

Jillian shook her head as her eyes widened. "That's okay... You don't have to do anything. It's not that bad." She wasn't sure what the ghost was even offering to do, but it sounded terrifying. They'd never bother her again? Was he suggesting killing them?

"Are you sure? They deserve to suffer..." The voice persisted.

"Uh... That's okay... I'll be alright... " She insisted. "Can you tell me something though? Who are you? What are you?" She changed the subject, still looking all around the room. The only thing she saw was the green glow. "Why can't I see you?"

"I don't wish to show myself. My name is Rex." The voice answered. "I myself spent time in this very school. I hadn't a friend in the world either. That's why I've been watching you. I notice you come down here frequently. I've seen those boys taunt you, shove you... I've heard the disgusting comments they make about you."

"Yeah." Jillian forced a nervous laugh. "I think I understand about half of it. I don't even bother looking up the rest. I don't want to know what they're trying to say. It can't be anything good."

"It's not." Rex sounded like he was frowning. "What they say to you is vulgar, and completely inappropriate. A boy should never speak to or about a young girl like that."

Jillian shrugged. Michael and his friends did say some pretty gross things to her.

"They have no right to treat you like that." Rex continued.

Jillian nodded. She agreed with that. They didn't have any right to be that way. He was correct. "So who are you though? Like a ghost? What happened? Were you a student here?"

"That's enough questions for now." Rex answered. The green glow quickly dissolved and Jillian heard the door's lock click open.

Jillian stared around the room with a frown. That was short-lived. She blinked a few times and moved her jaw around to pop her ears, wondering if she'd finally gone full-crazy. Maybe that whole thing was a hallucination. Auditory and visual hallucinations were possible when someone was crazy, and the other kids did treat her like she was crazy...

But then, she knew she wasn't crazy. She was smart. She skipped a grade. The teachers didn't suggest that because she was crazy. They suggested it because she was very logical and advanced. She really did just see and hear a ghost. It had to be real.

xxxxxx


	2. Science Recipes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for returning for the next chapter. :)

xxxxxx

Chapter 2: Science Recipes  
Monday: Seventh Hour Chemistry

xxxxxx

Jillian went through the rest of the day very caught up in her own head. What had happened down in the basement was strange. She felt weird about it to say the least. She wasn't sure what to make of Rex.

She'd been wanting more information on the glowing green light she'd seen so many times around the school. She'd been wanting to figure out her ghost detector and finally get it to function properly... And she had been wanting someone she could call a friend... It all happened all at once. And yet she wasn't sure how she felt about it.

Rex had immediately offered to do something about her bullies. She assumed it would be something violent. While she couldn't claim it wasn't tempting, she also couldn't bring herself to give the guy the green light. What if he killed them? She didn't want that blood on her hands. She really didn't like the older kids who made her life miserable. All the time she wished they'd just disappear... but she didn't want them dead - especially not specifically because she gave a ghost the green light to do it.

Presently Jillian was in her chemistry lab class. They were experimenting setting various salts on fire, but Jillian's mind was a million miles away. She hadn't even moved on past the first one. This was an experiment she had tried at home when she was eight. Her parents got really mad because she burnt the kitchen counter top on accident. She did the same experiment later in the garage. She was tired of it now. It wasn't interesting to her anymore.

She stared up at the ceiling tiles, thinking about how the tiny holes in them made them look like a sponge. One of the tiles above the table where Sammie sat was slightly blackened. That was Jillian's fault. Sometimes she let her experiments take an unassigned direction. She didn't know why teachers got angry with her when she did that. It was called 'experimentation' for a reason. They asked her to perform the task an exact way for an expected result. That wasn't an experiment. That was a recipe.

Jillian stared back down at her lab table. She was the only one in the class who didn't share her table with another student. She got moved back by herself after she nearly caught the ceiling on fire above her old seat. Sammie didn't tell Jillian herself, but Jillian was pretty sure the other girl had asked the teacher to move Jillian away from her.

There were an odd number of kids in the class now that the new boy had started, and each table had room for two... so naturally the fire hazard got put by herself. She was by herself even before the new kid started though. Sammie had been by herself too for the past couple weeks, but now the new kid sat beside her, in Jillian's old spot. Now Jillian was the only one in the class who sat alone.

She didn't really mind it. She actually preferred it... but she couldn't honestly say it didn't hurt her feelings. It was often so much easier to just isolate herself in order to avoid people judging her or otherwise being mean to her, but if someone were to sit by her and want to be her friend, that would be really cool too.

As she stared down at her salt samples, Jillian wondered if Rex was a threat at all. What if he decided to hurt Michael and his friends for her even though she told him not to? Would she be responsible? Would she feel guilty even though they did kind of deserve it? She told Rex to leave them alone... It wouldn't be her fault if the ghost didn't listen, right? Unless she would be responsible because she knew a ghost was gunning for them and didn't tell anyone. Was just her saying 'no thanks' good enough to absolve her of any guilt if Rex did do something? Or should she tell someone?

Maybe it would be kind of like hearing someone say they were gonna bomb the police station and telling them, 'you probably shouldn't,' and then walking away without warning the police. Maybe keeping quiet about it was extremely reckless... Maybe she was responsible now that the information was in her head and no one else's. After all, if a ghost told someone that it would hurt Jillian, even if the person declined the offer, Jillian figured she'd like to be told... just so she'd know to avoid any place the ghost might find her... Just in case.

Jillian looked up from her experiment and stared across the room at the teacher, who was scrolling through her phone at her desk. No one would believe her if she did tell them. Everyone would just think she was crazy and it'd be one more reason to make fun of her.

She quickly looked away as her teacher exhaled and put her phone down, then stood up and cleared her throat. "Alright. We're gonna start cleaning up in a minute, but I need to assign you your partners for your midterm project first. Wait until I've read all the names before you start cleaning. Then as soon as you're done, you can go. Remember to turn in your lab reports up front, and keep the noise level down until I get through the list. I'll post it on my desk if you don't hear your name: Marina and Brooke. Bianca and Steven. Lawrence and Mitch. Bridgette and Sammie..."

Jillian exhaled and closed her eyes. Sammie was the only person she felt even almost comfortable working with. She also knew Sammie wasn't going to love working with Bridgette. Bridgette was mean. She wondered if Sammie would even want to work with Jillian though after the almost-fire... Maybe the other girl would prefer mean-Bridgette over fire-hazard-Jillian.

Ms. Covington continued reading off her list of names, finally getting to Jillian near the end. "Jillian and Kevin. John, Tyreese, and Amanda. Your projects need to include a written report like last time. A demonstration - explained. No volcanoes. No shrugs and 'I dunnos' when asked how your reaction worked. I'd say aim for ten to fifteen minutes - including demo and explanation. You've got a month to work on this and it's twenty five percent of your grade, so make 'em good."

Jillian swallowed and glanced across the room at Sammie, offering the other girl and sympathetic, forced smile. Sammie didn't smile back. Maybe she was glad to not be working with Jillian. At least Bridgette wouldn't nearly set her on fire.

With a tired exhale, Jillian looked next toward Kevin - her assigned partner, who was helping Sammie put away the materials for their experiment, while Sammie looked extremely nervous with how careless he was being, but couldn't seem to bring herself to say anything to him about it.

Kevin was the new kid. She hadn't said a single word to him yet. Of course, she hadn't said a single word to a lot of kids who weren't new either. Kevin had just started at the high school today. He was in her first hour P.E. class and was a sophomore. He immediately made friends with the jocks. He looked like he could be friends Michael, Richard, and Bryan, which meant he wasn't the type of person who she was gonna want to be around.

He was walking laps with Bryan in P.E. this morning. She remembered that - because Bryan's group was a group she kept her eye on - to make sure she was ready if one of them decided to 'accidentally' run into her. She had been disappointed to see the group had grown larger upon Kevin's arrival.

She frowned when he looked over at her with raised eyebrows. She kept staring. If he ended up being friends with them, she wasn't going to work with him. She'd rather fail the class. No way would she put up with some big dumb jock treating her like garbage in her own safe place. Science was hers. No one was allowed to be mean to her in here.

Jillian inhaled a sharp breath when Kevin pushed his chair in against his table and started heading toward her. "Oh fuck..." she muttered under her breath, looking around herself and starting to panic. Maybe she should just leave. Maybe it would be worth it not to clean up and get yelled at later for it. Why couldn't this guy just leave this alone? They didn't need to talk about it now... Jillian could just send him an e-mail later offering to do the whole project. She could even send him his half of the speech part so he could read it off a note card the day of the presentation. She didn't want to actually work together with him...

"Jillian?" Kevin asked as he made his way up to her table.

"Yeah?" She frowned and stepped back.

"We're partners, right?" He grinned a rather charming smile.

She swallowed and nodded.

"You were in my P.E. class this morning." He remembered. "I noticed you were walking alone. You can walk with me tomorrow if you want." He offered.

"Oh..." Jillian breathed. Lately the P.E. teacher had gotten lazy and just had them walking laps in the gym instead of actually playing a sport. Jillian was okay with that, but she did always end up walking by herself.

"I mean, only if you want to..." He shrugged with a small frown, likely noticing her nearly panicked expression. "Do you like walking alone?"

"I uh..." Jillian stammered. Was this a trick? Kevin had seemed to make friends with all of the boys in their P.E. class, and Michael's brother Bryan was among them. What if Bryan told him to be nice to her to trick her? What if he convinced her to walk with him just so he and Bryan could do something mean? Jillian couldn't walk with Kevin if Bryan was going to be there too. Not even if she didn't think Kevin was tricking her. Even if Kevin was nice, Bryan being present would ruin it.

"Well..." Kevin shrugged again. "You can walk with me if you want. If you like walking alone, that's okay too. I won't judge." He smiled again. "Anyway, what do you want to do for our project? I don't really know anything about chemicals. I was failing Chemistry at my old school. I hope they didn't transfer my grades over. Could we like mix some glue and stuff and make slime?"

Jillian stared at him. He seemed innocent. He didn't look like he had any hidden motive. He didn't have that spark in his eye that indicated this was all some big elaborate scheme to embarrass or hurt her in some way. If anything, he seemed too dense to possibly have the brains to plan such a thing.

"You can buy glue that glows now. We could make glowing slime." Kevin went on.

Jillian blinked a few times, honestly surprised that he was talking about the project and not somehow making fun of her or threatening her. Not only did he seem to legitimately want to discuss their assignment rather than doing something mean, but he actually had his own ideas, no matter how stupid they were. He didn't even seem to expect her to do the entire thing herself.

"Or glitter. Or just plain glue." Kevin frowned. "Jillian? Do you want to do that? Make slime?" He paused for a moment. "Jillian?"

"Um... Yeah..." She whispered, blinking her eyes as she tried to register what he had said while she was thinking. "No. Wait..." She blinked and shook her head. "That's not advanced enough. Did you say slime?" She felt a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Yeah. Like gooey gluey slime." Kevin smiled and nodded. "All you need is glue and some kinda other stuff. We made it in fourth grade."

Jillian shook her head again. "Exactly. This isn't fourth grade. We've gotta think of something better."

"Well, okay." Kevin agreed. "We'll think about it more. We've got a whole month. That's what, fifty, sixty days?"

Jillian frowned, furrowing her brows and staring at him. He didn't look like he was joking. "More like thirty..." She corrected.

"Thirty months?" Kevin raised his eyebrows. "That's like a year, Jillian. We don't have that long. I think she said a month."

Jillian felt her shoulders slump as her jaw dropped. "No..." She said simply, not sure where to even begin with this guy. "Thirty days, Kevin. A month is thirty days... What..." She stopped herself from asking him what the hell was wrong with him. That wasn't nice.

"Oh. Well, okay. So if you think of anything cool, we can do it. You seem smart. I trust you." He smiled.

"Really?" Jillian felt something warm in her chest. She was having a conversation with a person and it wasn't awful. He was complimenting her. He hadn't made fun of her even once. He didn't shove her or trip her or grab her books and throw them in the trash. He was just standing there, looking down at her with a warm smile instead of a scowl... Talking to her... Like she was a normal person worthy of his time.

"Sure. Ms. Whatever said we could go after we clean up. Want me to help you?" Kevin asked.

Jillian nodded and started picking up some of her experiment materials. "Thanks, Kevin." She smiled, feeling actual tears in her eyes as she kept her head down. She couldn't believe he was actually being nice, and was honestly scared it might still turn around.

They put away all the materials and then Jillian grabbed up her books. "I'll take those." Kevin offered. "They look heavy, and you're really little."

Jillian let him take her books, but swallowed nervously. The last time someone offered to carry her books and she let them, it hadn't gone well.

"You going to your locker?" Kevin asked.

Jillian stared. She wondered if maybe she shouldn't show him where her locker was. Then he'd know where to find her and which locker to stick gross or embarrassing things in if it turned out he was trying to trick her. One time Michael - or someone - had taped what looked like a used condom to the front of it. She shuddered at the memory and shook her head slightly to herself.

"Okay." Kevin shrugged. "You ride the bus or does someone drive you? I know you can't drive. You've gotta be too young. Why are you so little anyway?" He wondered.

"I just am..." She squeaked, feeling out of breath. Was he making fun of her? She wasn't that little. It wasn't like she looked like a kindergartner. She was thirteen, not five. "I..." She hesitated. She figured she might as well just tell him. He already noticed she looked younger than she should. He wasn't going to un-notice. "I skipped a grade. I'm thirteen." She breathed, her voice even smaller than before. This was it. This was the thing that was going to change Kevin's mind about being nice. He wasn't going to want to work with a thirteen year old. He was going to feel threatened that someone three years younger than him was in the same class - and was better at it. That's what usually happened.

"Oh. Really?" Kevin smiled. "That's so cool. You must be like super smart then."

Jillian shrugged. "I guess. About some stuff." She swallowed. Her voice was so small that she could barely hear herself. She felt so nervous. Any second now this conversation was gonna turn around. Kevin was so athletic-looking. He was attractive and had a good voice. He should have been talking to the cool kids, not her. If this wasn't a trick, it would only be a matter of time before he realized there were better options out there - pretty, tall, beautiful, bold, assertive kids with smooth, neat, perfect hair. Kids with clothing that was perfectly in-style, who knew all the latest trends and were able to speak to one another without being accused of being a weird freak. Kids who he'd look great walking around with. Kids his own age - ones that no one thought were weird and nerdy and pretentious... It wasn't Jillian's fault she was smart... but other kids seemed to really dislike that about her.

"So do you ride the bus or what?" Kevin asked again.

Jillian nodded. "Yeah." She breathed. "I guess I better go so I don't miss it." She whispered, hoping he'd give her books back without her having to beg him not to keep them or throw them down the stairs.

Kevin leaned down slightly, maybe to hear her better. "I could give you a ride home if you'd rather skip the bus. I've got a motorcycle."

"You do?" Jillian frowned. She didn't know teenagers were allowed to have motorcycles. "Do you need a special license for that?" She asked.

Kevin nodded. "Yep. And I've got one." He grinned. "It's actually so much easier to drive than you'd think. And it's small, so I get better parking than everyone else. Can I give you ride then?"

Jillian inhaled a steadying breath, but nodded. "Alright." She agreed.

"Are you scared of motorcycles?" He frowned, clearly noticing how nervous she was.

She shook her head and forced a smile. She wasn't scared of motorcycles. She was scared of him.

"Cool. I'll let you wear the helmet anyway. I hardly ever wear it." Kevin shrugged as he started toward the door.

Jillian followed him. "You should always wear it, Kevin." She frowned. "That's dangerous."

"Why would I always wear it?" He laughed. "Makes my head feel heavy. That'd get tiring wearing it constantly, and kids at school would make fun of me for sure."

Jillian's shoulders slumped. "I mean while you're driving... Not literally always." She laughed.

"Eh. I'm a good driver. I don't need it." He disagreed, holding the door open for her as they reached the stairway at the end of the hall. "You seem kinda nervous. I'll bet wearing it'll make you feel better, but I'm a good driver, so you won't really need it. Just to make you feel safer, I guess."

Jillian smiled as she walked through the door. She couldn't remember the last time someone held a door open for her at school. The other kids usually purposefully let them close as she approached instead.

She followed Kevin down the stairs, trying to ignore a couple strange looks a few kids she didn't know gave her. They must have been as perplexed as she was that Kevin would give her the time of day.

Maybe it would backfire... Maybe Kevin was playing a cruel joke. Maybe he'd walk her outside to his motorcycle and then shove her down and take off without her. Maybe he just wanted to see where she lived so he could harass her... Or maybe he really did want to be her friend. She wondered if she had ever accidentally chased away a potential friend by being too scared to let them be nice. She didn't want to do that. If Kevin wanted to be her friend, she was going to let him... unless/until he proved her wrong.

xxxxxx


	3. Weird Baby Lesbian

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Chapter 3: Weird Baby Lesbian  
Tuesday: Before School

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The day seemed especially bright and beautiful as Jillian watched the buildings pass by during her bus ride to school the next day. Kevin really hadn't done anything mean after offering to take her home. She had somewhat reluctantly given him her address and he drove her there. It was as simple as that. He even parked the motorcycle and walked her up to her door, carrying her books for her.

As soon as he left, Jillian had realized she brought all the wrong books home during her moment of panic, but that was okay. What was important was that it seemed she had made a friend - an alive one!

Now she was on the bus, feeling somewhat optimistic about school for the first time in years. Kevin was in her P.E. class. Maybe she could walk with him... He was kinda weird, but she had no room to complain or judge anyone for that. As long as he wasn't walking with her bullies too, it might be nice to have someone to actually talk to. Everyone else spent the forty-minute P.E. class chatting, Jillian always felt left out. Maybe now she wouldn't have to feel that way.

"Jillian." A painfully familiar voice spoke up as she felt the seat dip slightly next to her.

Jillian frowned and looked over. Bridgette - the mean girl from her Chemistry class - was sitting next to her. She didn't look mad. She just looked like she wanted to talk. But that in itself was alarming, because Bridgette didn't like her. She was too good for Jillian, and made that fact well known very often.

As usual, Bridgette's hair was perfect, hanging down past her shoulders in shiny, bleached blonde, neat curls she'd made herself with a curling iron. She smelled like fruity hair spray - the expensive kind all the cool girls wore. She was wearing quite a bit of makeup, but not as much as the girls who didn't know how to apply it always did. It seemed a little excessive, but didn't exactly make her look bad.

"Yeah?" Jillian answered cautiously.

"You're friends with the new guy, right? Kevin Beckman?" Bridgette spoke up as she reached over and picked up a loose curl off Jillian's shoulder. She frowned as though disgusted and let it drop back down.

Jillian felt her shoulders slump. Maybe Bridgette had a crush on him and wanted Jillian to help her out getting a date... But then, Bridgette had only ever been mean to her... and if Kevin dated her, Bridgette's meanness might rub off on him. She didn't want to ruin Kevin by helping the bully kids make friends with him.

"Do you know Kevin?" Bridgette spoke louder and more slowly, earning giggles from her friends Alexa and Renee who Jillian noticed were sitting on their knees looking up over the seat in front of her.

"Yeah... Kind of..." Jillian finally answered. "I just met him yesterday. He's my lab partner."

"I want you to trade me for Sammie." Bridgette demanded. "I don't want to be partners with that weird freak, and I think you'd be a better fit... You know, since you're also a weird freak."

Alexa and Renee laughed again as Bridgette offered a smug smirk.

Jillian frowned. A large part of her would have actually been okay having Sammie be her lab partner instead of Kevin. Sammie was comfortably predictable and safe, but Kevin was actually really nice so far, and she didn't like how demanding Bridgette was being. She also doubted Ms. Covington would allow them to switch partners. She had assigned them herself for a reason. Sammie and Jillian were always partners by default whenever they got to choose, because no one else liked either of them. Ms. Covington knew that and assigned them each to someone else on purpose.

"Can you do that?" Bridgette spoke slowly again, in a tone that indicated she thought Jillian was stupid. "Trade me for Sammie so you two can do whatever light-the-school-on-fire lunacy you want to do and Kevin and I can do something normal?"

Jillian shook her head. "No." She said simply.

"Excuse me?" Bridgette crossed her arms over her chest.

Now Jillian spoke slowly. "No, Bridgette. Kevin is my lab partner. I am not switching with you."

She heard Alexa actually gasp in the seat in front of her, but Jillian didn't take her eyes off of Bridgette. Jillian had never really challenged the older girl before. She always just gave in or backed away to avoid being hurt or humiliated. Telling her no for once was actually a huge risk.

"Kevin wouldn't ever date a fucking freak like you." Bridgette growled.

"That's fine." Jillian said back. She wasn't interested in dating Kevin.

"Then switch me partners." Bridgette demanded again.

"No." Jillian repeated. "It's science class, not speed dating. We've already started working on our project. We're not switching."

"You fucking slut." Bridgette growled, reaching out and shoving Jillian's shoulder. "You know he's not interested in you like that. Boys like Kevin might be nice to you when you're their partner for class, but he doesn't like you. He just likes that you can do the whole project for him."

Jillian glared. She wondered if any part of that was true. Maybe Kevin was being nice just because he knew she'd get him a good grade.

"Cute boys don't date weird baby lesbians." Bridgette continued. Alexa and Renee laughed.

"I know." Jillian stared back, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't expect him to. As a weird baby lesbian, I'm okay with cute boys not dating me. That's kind of the fucking point." She didn't know how she got so brave today. Maybe it was because her interaction with Kevin had gone so well. Maybe having someone treat her like she was a valid human being was enough to give her the confidence to talk back for once.

"If I see you talking to him again, I'm gonna do something really fucking mean to you." Bridgette said quite bluntly. "I'm not kidding. You know everything I've done so far?"

Jillian frowned. In the past, Bridgette had poured chemicals on her books in class, had even thrown some on her - luckily it wasn't something dangerous. She had on occasion tripped or shoved her in the hallway... Bridgette also had a lot of sway with seemingly every girl in the school. She could get everyone else to torment her too.

She got other girls to call Jillian names or 'accidentally' bump into her. One week girls she didn't even know 'accidentally' ran into her in the hallway, shoving her against lockers, knocking books out of her hands, shoving her into other kids who got mad and shoved her back... It was such a big problem - with so many kids doing it - that Jillian stayed late in every class, trying to talk to teachers about anything she could imagine so she wouldn't have to be in the hallway at the same time as everyone else.

The teachers caught on that she didn't really need anything and stopped allowing her to do it. Teachers even stared her down specifically and made her go out into the hall - watching her leave, but not watching what followed. One particularly tough junior girl 'accidentally' bumped into her at the top of the stairs that day. She fell down them and had to spend the next hour in the nurse's office. Everyone had been mad at her except for the nurse, who seemed almost disappointed. He implied that he believed she fell down the stairs on purpose to get out of class. He was concerned about why she wanted out of class so much, but he did imply he believed she threw herself down the stairs deliberately, even when Jillian swore she just tripped. When her mom came to pick her up to take her to the doctor, she was obviously inconvenienced and accused Jillian of being clumsy. When the nurse whispered to the woman - probably about his theory that she'd done it on purpose - Jillian's mom was even more annoyed. She seemed to believe it too, but wasn't concerned about why Jillian would want to hurt herself to avoid class.

So Jillian knew what Bridgette was capable of and certainly did't want to endure the worst of her wrath. And all of that stuff was seemingly for no real reason. She couldn't think of one anyway. Bridgette just didn't like her.

"Well, if I see you talking to Kevin again, I'm going to do something a lot worse than anything else I've done to you. I saw him first. He wouldn't like you anyway, so back off." Bridgette warned.

"If he doesn't like me anyway, why are you so threatened by him talking to me." Jillian asked with a glare in her eyes. Maybe it was a terrible idea - perhaps the worst she'd ever had - but she didn't want to give in just yet. Kevin was the closest thing to a friend Jillian had experienced in a really long time, and Bridgette wasn't going to take him away this easily.

Bridgette stared with her mouth hanging open for a few long seconds before reaching out and slapping Jillian across the cheek.

Jillian winced and brought her hand up to her face. She knew better than to hit back. Alexa and Renee were there. She was out numbered. She also might get kicked off the bus for fighting. No one noticed when people hit her, but somehow somebody always noticed if she hit back.

"Don't talk to him anymore." Bridgette said again as she stood up to leave. "Bitch."

"Slut." Alexa murmured as she followed her friend. Renee laughed and followed too as the bus pulled up in front of the school.

Jillian felt tears stinging her eyes as she held her hand over her cheek and looked out the window at all the other high school kids running up to meet their friends. Bridgette, Alexa, and Renee rushed up toward Bryan and Michael - Bryan was dating Alexa. She planted a kiss on his lips immediately, Jillian noticed Bridgette looked slightly jealous as she watched her friend. Michael leaned over and said something to her and she shoved him, but laughed. Michael and Bridgette weren't dating. Jillian wasn't sure why though. They flirted with each other a lot.

"Hey. Weird blonde girl!" The driver yelled out when Jillian failed to get up and move off the bus.

Jillian sniffed back tears and wiped her cheeks with her sleeves. She breathed in and out a few steadying breaths. She really didn't want to go into the school crying - or looking like she had been crying. Bullies loved that.

"You gotta go. I know high school's hard and all your little friends are jerks. But you gotta go." The driver called back. "Nobody held my hand when I went. You can handle it, Hun. Go on."

She looked up toward the front of the bus. He wasn't even looking at her. He was looking up in his mirror. She wasn't even worth looking at directly.

"Come on, kiddo. I get paid for three hours a day regardless of how long you make me sit here waiting." He reminded her. "Let's go. You can cry inside."

Jillian exhaled and stood, slinging her back pack over her shoulder and dragging her feet toward the front of the bus.

"Good girl." The driver had a hint of a smirk as he watched her near the stairs. "Have a good day."

She turned to look over her shoulder, debating thanking him for driving her to school. Her mom always told her she should thank workers for doing their jobs if helping her in some way or another was what they were being paid to do... but the driver hadn't really been that nice. She was clearly upset, and he didn't care about anything but his own time.

Before she even would have had a chance to thank him anyway, he closed the door behind her and took off. She wasn't even a foot away from the door yet.

She inhaled a breath and made her way inside, heading toward her locker, but sucking in a breath when she saw that Michael and his friend Richard were lingering nearby. Michael sure had been quick. He was outside talking to Bridgette and her gang like two minutes ago...

Jillian shook her head and made her way down to the basement instead. Maybe having Kevin as a friend wasn't going to work after all. Bridgette wasn't going to allow it. It would probably only take her telling Kevin something mean and untrue about her to scare him away. Kevin was too pretty and athletic to be friends with someone like Jillian. He looked like he'd be friends with people like Bridgette and Michael.

As soon as she maneuvered the door open and walked into the room, Jillian started looking around. She wondered if Rex was always nearby and would know she was looking for him. If she just yelled out his name would he show up? Maybe he was on the opposite side of the school. How would she know?

"Rex?" She called out, her voice shaking slightly. She didn't even realize she was this upset until she heard her own voice. Maybe she really had been overly optimistic about gaining a friend in Kevin. Maybe Bridgette's promise to destroy their friendship meant a lot more to her than she could have guessed. She had only just met the guy less than a day ago.

"Rex?" She called out again, hearing tears in her own voice. "Are you in here? I could really use a friend right now... I really need talk to someone..." She trailed off as tears began falling from her eyes.

She put her back to the door and leaned against it until it closed. She didn't care that it was locked. She didn't care that she'd be stuck in here. She didn't want to exist anywhere else either.

Sinking down against the wall and bringing her knees up to her chest, Jillian wrapped her arms around her legs, rested her forehead on her knees, and sobbed. She didn't understand why the world seemed to hate her so much. What had she done to deserve this? Why couldn't she do something as simple as talk to a boy and be friends with him? Why did Bridgette and her friends have to take away even that?

She wondered if Bridgette would have cared if Kevin weren't as attractive. Sure, she wouldn't have been jealous, but maybe just the fact that Jillian seemed happy and included for once was too much for Bridgette to bear. Maybe the older girl would have sabotaged any friendship Jillian attempted.

"Are you alright?" Rex's voice finally spoke up.

Jillian sniffed back tears and looked up. The lights were flickering again, and the familiar green glow filled the room. "No." She answered, shaking her head.

"What happened?" Rex wondered.

"Bridgette and her friends..." Jillian interrupted herself with a shaking breath and a small choked sob.

"And that boy, Kevin?" Rex added.

Jillian frowned and looked around the room, wondering where Rex actually was. Did he have a pin-point location or was he everywhere the green light reached? She wanted to be able to look at him when she talked to him. That didn't seem like too much to ask, especially considering he said he was her friend.

"Was he cruel to you after you left with him?" Rex asked.

Jillian frowned. "No. He was really nice."

"Did he pressure you into doing anything sexual? I figured he might." Rex sounded disappointed.

"Ew, Rex... No..." Jillian pouted. "Kevin didn't do anything gross or mean. He gave me a ride home and carried my books for me. That's it."

"I'm relieved to hear that, but I think its a trap, Sweetheart. Boys like him aren't nice unless they want something - especially not to girls like you. I advise you to distance yourself from him before he does something cruel." Rex explained.

Jillian glared as she looked around the room. She wished she could tell where exactly to aim her angry stare. That sounded an awful lot like what Bridgette was saying. Why couldn't attractive people want to be nice to her just to be nice?

"You're very young. Maybe he has a bet with his friends. Maybe he's trying to get you to have sex with him. Maybe he thinks it'll be funny." He suggested. "He's won you over very quickly. He can see you're vulnerable in that you're desperate to be shown kindness. He probably guesses once he's got you in his grips, he can pressure you into things like that - knowing you'll see not giving in will mean losing your only friend. It's only a matter of time before he suggests it... and I really hope he just asks and doesn't force you."

"No." Jillian shook her head. "Kevin wouldn't do that."

"You really don't know him, Love." Rex reminded her.

"Neither do you." Jillian frowned.

"But I've known boys like him." Rex noted.

"I don't think it's too far fetched that he might actually be a genuinely nice person. You're not being fair." Jillian pouted.

"I've never met a boy like him who was nice." Rex countered.

"So he can't possibly be a good person because he's attractive?" Jillian crossed her arms over her chest.

"No. It's not that. Don't get defensive. Attractive people can be nice. You're nice, aren't you?" Rex responded.

Jillian scoffed. Was this ghost fucking flirting with her?

"Just not like him. He's got that smug jock-look to him. He's dumb and shallow." Rex guessed. "You're a beautiful girl, Jillian. You're young and strange, but you're cute, and the people who pick on you know that. That's probably why the girls are so mean - they know you're actually more attractive than they are - just strange enough to be overlooked. And the boys who pick on you? And even the ones who don't... They're waiting for their chance."

"Ew..." Jillian stuck out her lower lip. Kevin wasn't attracted to her. She was pretty sure no one was. Even the older boys who made comments didn't actually think she was attractive. They just wanted to embarrass her. Everyone at the school was so much more mature than she was. The boys around here wanted to date the cheerleaders with their long, beautiful hair, with their tight shirts that showed off their boobs. No one was interested in a pretty much flat-chested thirteen year old with messy curls she could barely brush half the time.

"Trust me, Doll. Boys notice you. Your friend Kevin wants something I really hope you're not insecure enough to give him." Rex guessed. "He's dumb and shallow, smug, narcissistic... Boys like that only want one thing, and it's not to be friends with the nerdy girl."

"I don't think so." Jillian disagreed. He did seem kind of dumb, but she didn't think he was shallow or smug... and even if he was a little of those things, he also seemed genuinely nice. "He didn't do anything though. The girls did. Kevin's not the problem. Bridgette said not to talk to him anymore, and I suggested that she felt threatened by me and she hit me."

"I'm sorry to hear that... But maybe she's got a reason to feel threatened." Rex noted.

Jillian exhaled and stood up, pushing on the locked door. "Let me out of here." She demanded. She didn't have to listen to this.

"He's too old for you. He's too dumb for you. You deserve someone smarter, and you should wait until you're older." Rex went on.

"For what? To have a friend?" Jillian growled. "I'm not dating him. I'm not even straight. If I were gonna date anyone, it'd be a girl. Not that there are any girls at this school who aren't completely sadistic sociopaths..."

"Oh." Rex paused, seemingly taken aback by her admission.

"What, they didn't have gay kids when you went to school here? Are you from the sixties or something? Sorry. Maybe you and I can't be friends after all." Jillian pushed at the door again. "Unlock the door, Rex. I'm done."

"It's okay..." Rex finally spoke again. "It's alright that you like girls... Just... You might change your mind when you get older... You're a little young to-"

"No." Jillian frowned. "I don't need a lecture from a ghost. Enough living people have already suggested that shit to me. Will you please let me go? I'm already late to P.E."

"I'm sorry if I offended you." Rex sounded disappointed.

Jillian exhaled and closed her eyes as she leaned her forehead against the closed door. Maybe Rex hadn't been as offensive as it felt like. At least he was apologizing and not shoving her down the stairs or calling her names. If Bridgette was going to ruin her friendship with Kevin, she was gonna go back to only having Rex as a friend. She couldn't afford to throw that away just because he was a little rude just now.

"Are we still okay?" Rex asked.

Jillian nodded. "Yeah." She said softly. "I just need to go so I don't get detention."

"Alright." Rex said. She heard the door unlock. "I'm sorry Bridgette hit you. I'll be around if you need to talk again. And I can still do something about these bullies... Just say the word."

Jillian shook her head and opened the door. "I'll be fine. Thanks." She murmured as she rushed back up the stairs. She wasn't going to P.E. though. She was already late enough that she'd be in trouble either way, and she really didn't want to be in the same room as Kevin when she wasn't sure yet what to do about Bridgette's threats. She couldn't go to P.E. right now, but at this point there was nowhere to hide in the school either. Not if she didn't want to be followed and watched by Rex.

So she headed toward the main office instead.

xxxxxx


	4. The Science of Astrology

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Chapter 4: The Science of Astrology  
Tuesday: First Hour

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"I think I'm gonna throw up." Jillian announced as she made her way into the front office.

The secretary sitting at the front desk inhaled a sharp breath as she jumped up and grabbed a trash can, rushing it over toward Jillian and telling her to sit down and keep her face near it.

"What's your name, Sweetheart? We'll call your parents." She suggested. The secretary must have been relatively new here, because Jillian hadn't seen her in the office before. And Jillian came down here trying to get sent home sick fairly frequently.

"You don't need to call them. They're not home anyway. Can I just walk home? It's not far." Jillian requested.

"Jillian Holtzmann." A louder voice growled as the assistant principal made his way into the room. "You can't claim you're sick every day. What's wrong this time? I'll take it from here." He tapped the secretary on the shoulder and she went back to her desk, but kept watching and listening, clearly interested in Jillian's situation.

Jillian swallowed and looked down. "I feel sick." She lied. She supposed it wasn't a whole lie though. She did feel kind of sick thinking about going to P.E. Kevin would be there. He'd expect her to walk with him. She couldn't do that. Not with Alexa, Renee, and Bryan in her class. They'd tell Bridgette.

"How so?" He glared. This guy very rarely believed her claims of illness anymore. She wished she could have just talked to the secretary instead. She had been ready to call Jillian's parents without another question.

Jillian frowned. "I think I might throw up. Can I just lie down in the nurse's office for a little bit?" She suggested.

The assistant principal, Mr. Helm, shook his head. "You need to go to class. Your seventh grade teachers and your parents didn't campaign for you to skip a grade just so you could cut class. How are you going to maintain your grades if you never attend class?"

Jillian rolled her eyes. "It's P.E. The teacher doesn't even have a lesson plan. We just walk in circles the whole time."

"Well, that doesn't sound hard... Go then." He countered.

"I will throw up." Jillian spoke more slowly.

"So you're just walking in P.E.?" Mr. Helm narrowed his eyes. "No dodge-ball or anything?"

Jillian shook her head. She had come in here saying she was sick during dodge-ball season more than once. The boys threw those balls really hard, and they all always seemed to aim straight for her.

"Are kids picking on you?" Helm asked.

"No." Jillian squeaked. That was the last thing she needed, for the fucking assistant principal to have to tell the other kids to be nice to her. He couldn't force them to be her friends, and she didn't want him to try.

"If you're being bullied, you've got to tell the truth, Jillian." Helm stared her down like she was the problem here. "I can't help you if you don't tell the truth."

"No one is bullying me. I just feel sick." She lied. "I just need to lie down for a minute. It's P.E. Mr. Helm. Please just let me lie down..." She heard her voice starting to shake again. She didn't know what she would do if he made her to go P.E. She wasn't ready to decide whether to ignore Kevin and hurt the feelings of the only person who had been nice to her in ages, or walk with him and risk Bridgette and her friends doing something terrible. She'd probably just hide in one of the bathroom stalls in the locker room if the assistant principal really made her go. She couldn't go to P.E. today. She just couldn't.

Mr. Helm exhaled and shook his head. "I'm going to go speak with Mr. Nelson. Stay put."

Jillian nodded. Mr. Nelson was the nurse. She guessed Mr. Helm was going to go tell him that Jillian was definitely being bullied and to not humor her - to make her go to class until she finally gave in and told them everything. Mr. Nelson was normally much more patient with her than the other staff, but sometimes Mr. Helm convinced him to tell her no. She wouldn't be surprised if Helm and Nelson both told her to get back to class and suck it up - even if Mr. Nelson would feel bad about doing so.

If they did that, she was just gonna leave. She'd leave the whole school. She'd walk out the front door and go walk around at the park. She didn't care. She wasn't going to P.E., and she wasn't tattling on the mean kids.

She exhaled and leaned back against the wall. She had very few options here and none of them were good.

"You okay, hon?" The secretary spoke up.

Jillian opened one eye and looked at her. "No." She answered simply, closing her eye again and sinking down on the bench. She raised her feet up and put them on the bench too, lying down on the bench so that she was using it like a bed.

"It sounds like you come in here claiming to not feel well a lot." The secretary went on. "There's got to be a reason."

"Yeah." Jillian answered, but didn't bother opening her eyes this time. "Because I don't feel well."

"Anxiety really could make you feel sick when you're otherwise in good health." The secretary noted. "Maybe you're not even lying. Maybe you're just not telling the whole truth either. I can understand that. I got bullied in school. I felt sick all the time."

Jillian frowned and turned her head to the side to see the woman. She didn't look like someone who would have been bullied. She looked pretty average. "Why'd you get bullied? What was wrong with you?" She asked.

The secretary looked slightly surprised for a moment before regaining her composure and offering a forced smile. "There doesn't have to be anything wrong with you to be bullied. There's something wrong with the kids being mean to you. There's nothing wrong with you."

"Oh, great. So it's just literally every other fucking human being on the planet-" She stopped herself with a wince. She hadn't meant to swear. Nor had she intended to pretty much confirm the woman's suspicions. "I mean... Nevermind..." She turned over on her side so the secretary couldn't see her face anymore.

"Fine." The secretary sighed. "What's wrong with you then? Why does every other normal, flawless human on the planet bully you?"

"They don't." Jillian frowned, but still faced the wall. She hugged her arms around herself.

"You can go in, Jillian." Mr. Helm's voice cut in as he re-entered the office.

Jillian sat up and stared at the man with wide eyes. "Really? You guys aren't gonna make me go back?"

Helm shook his head. "Nope. Not this time."

Jillian swallowed and cautiously made her way into Mr. Nelson's office.

"Hi, Jillian." Nelson greeted her.

He was a chubby man with a grey beard and a bald spot. He had probably been bullied as a child too. After all, hadn't everyone? All the grownups who ever tried to relate to her told her they had been picked on too. Sure, everyone had. Jillian's experience was normal and she just needed to deal with it. It happened to everyone. Yet she never saw other kids sitting all alone at lunch or hiding in the basement.

"Hi, Mr. Nelson." Jillian frowned, waiting for an avalanche of questions and/or accusations.

"Go ahead and lie down. You can stay here until second hour." Nelson suggested.

Jillian climbed onto the cot and laid down, placing her hands over her ribs and staring up at the ceiling. She felt like a corpse lying in a coffin. She closed her eyes to see if she could feel even more corpse-like. Probably if she were wearing a suit and tie and dress shoes, that would help. And maybe if it were colder in here. It was always cold in funeral homes, to preserve the bodies.

"What's going on, Jillian?" Nelson finally asked.

Jillian shrugged slightly but kept her eyes closed. She clasped and unclasped her hands. She didn't remember if dead bodies in caskets normally had their hands clasped together or not.

"What are you thinking about?" Nelson asked.

Jillian shrugged again. "Corpses." She finally answered in a low voice.

"Well..." Nelson let out a small laugh.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Jillian finally pulled herself up onto her side, propping her arm up on her elbow and resting her chin on her palm.

"I'm not sure." Mr. Nelson answered. "I could have sworn I saw one once, but it was a long time ago. I swore I saw the Tooth Fairy when I was six too... So I can't say I trust myself on that."

"Maybe when you thought you saw the Tooth Fairy, it was a ghost." Jillian suggested.

"Maybe." Nelson shrugged. "What's got you thinking about corpses and ghosts, Jillian?" He asked as he started filing papers into folders in a filing cabinet across the room.

"Are you like a psychologist too?" Jillian frowned.

"No." Nelson laughed. "Lauren - er um... Miss Smith is. Did you want to talk to her? She's really nice, and she's kind of a science geek, so you two might have something in common. She's really into astrology."

Jillian let out a loud laugh and shook her head. Astrology was not in any way a science... "No. Have you heard anything from anyone thinking maybe the school is haunted? Did anyone ever die here?"

Nelson frowned. "I haven't heard anything... Have you?"

Jillian shook her head and stared at him with wide eyes. "No. I didn't hear anything... I was just wondering."

"Well, I don't know, Jillian. This school is very old. I wouldn't be surprised at all if someone or even more than one person had died here." Nelson shrugged. "Most older buildings have had someone die in them. It's not uncommon."

"Do you think everyone who dies ends up being a ghost somewhere? Assuming ghosts are real?" Jillian asked him.

Nelson shrugged again. "I couldn't say... That would mean there'd be an awful lot of ghosts roaming the world though."

Jillian nodded. "So I guess then it'd either be 'no' or there'd have to be lots of various planes in which these ghosts exist - so they don't crowd each other out. Maybe separated by time frames... or energy levels, matter of death. Or maybe the ones who were at peace when they died don't linger around at all." She stopped herself as she stared past Nelson's shoulder with a frown. I that theory were true, that meant Rex wasn't at peace when he died. He had unfinished business.

She stared at the wall as she considered this. Rex seemed bothered by Kevin and the pretty, popular kids. He had mentioned being bullied. He mentioned teachers not helping - looking the other way, laughing, ignoring the problem. Rex clearly had unresolved issues when he died. She wondered if any of the teachers who were still here were the ones who made his life worse. Maybe he was sticking around for that... To get his revenge on them.

She looked up at a shelf of books Nelson had in his office. They were medical books. What if Rex was murdered? What if the bullies took it too far and actually killed him? That would explain why he was so defensive.

"Jillian?" Nelson's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

She shook her head, blinked, and forced a smile. "Yeah?"

"You okay?" He was frowning.

"Yeah... Can I just lie here until P.E. is over?" She asked, settling down further into the cot as she looked back up at the shelf of books.

Nelson nodded.

"If I fall asleep, will you wake me up?" Jillian asked.

Nelson nodded again.

"Okay." Jillian smiled. Mr. Nelson was quite possibly the nicest person she knew. She liked that he didn't ask too many questions. He didn't press her for information. When she said she didn't want to talk about something, that was okay with him. She liked that.

"I hope you feel better soon, Jillian." Nelson told her.

"Thanks, Mr. Nelson." Jillian closed her eyes and put her hands back over her chest, resuming her corpse-position.

xxxxx


	5. I Would Have Helped You Anyway

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Chapter 5: I Would Have Helped You Anyway  
Tuesday: Second Hour

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Mr. Nelson gave Jillian a tiny stress ball that looked like a cloud with a smiley face on it before she left for second hour. She squeezed it in her hand and stared down at it as she made her way up to her locker. Nelson had let her go a couple minutes early, but the bell that would dismiss the rest of the students into the halls was due to ring any second now.

She squeezed the little cloud in one hand while she put in her locker combination with the other. She winced softly and shrunk down as the bell began to ring. She should have asked Mr. Nelson more questions at the last minute. She should have purposefully made herself late so he'd have given her a pass to excuse her tardiness to second hour. School staff could do that - give students excuse passes if the reason they were late was school related. Mr. Nelson had given them to her in the past.

Jillian shoved the stress ball up at the top of her locker and squatted down to find her books for the rest of her morning classes. She needed her English one - Romeo and Juliet, a massive history book that must have weighed five pounds just by itself, and a Biology book. That was a class required of all freshman, even though she already knew all of it and the class was very basic and thus very boring.

She stacked her books up, added a very disorganized notebook, grabbed a pen and stuck it into her mess of hair, and slammed the locker closed, spinning the lock - because she sure as hell didn't need anybody breaking into her locker.

Hefting the books up in her arms, Jillian started down the hallway, trying to walk in such a way that she wouldn't be noticed and would get to English quickly. She'd have to make it down one hallway, up two flights of stairs, and down two more hallways before getting there, so she kept her head down and walked fast.

"Jillian!" A voice called out.

Jillian exhaled and rolled her eyes as she continued walking. She glanced over her shoulder to see Sammie jogging up behind her. Sammie really wasn't being a great friend lately. They ended up working together a lot just because they were both disliked by everyone else, but Sammie abandoned Jillian every single time it mattered. Unless the other girl was going to tell her she noticed Bridgette and her cronies being mean and wanted to ask her to come to lunch today to avoid being harassed, Jillian wasn't interested in anything Sammie had to say.

"Um... Jillian?" Sammie sounded nervous as she walked briskly next to the younger girl in order to keep up while Jillian was basically ignoring her.

Jillian turned toward her and raised her eyebrows as she frowned up at the other girl. Sammie was one of the only people in the entire school who didn't intimidate her. She was a bully-target just like Jillian, but she radiated an aura of discomfort and fear. At least Jillian made an attempt to stand up for herself and others now and then. Sammie was such a pushover, and didn't do a thing to help Jillian when she needed it.

Maybe that was why people picked on Jillian more than Sammie though - because Sammie didn't fight back even a little. She probably wasn't as entertaining to shove around and make fun of because of it.

"Can you, um..." Sammie hesitated, avoiding eye-contact with Jillian. "Will you ask Ms. Covington if we- If you could switch partners with Bridgette and work with me for Chemistry?"

Jillian frowned and scoffed. "No." She answered before even thinking about it as she turned away again and kept walking.

"What?" Sammie's eyes were wide. "Why not?" She asked in an out-of-breath voice.

"I'm partners with Kevin. We've already been working on it. It's too late to switch. Besides, I thought you didn't want to work with me after last time." Jillian frowned, finally stopping at the edge of the hallway near the entrance to the stairs and staring at the other girl.

"Oh..." Sammie swallowed nervously. "I mean... It's okay. We could still work together. We just have to be more careful. I don't wanna do anything with fire this time. We can switch and just let the jocks work together. It'll be less horrible that way. Just be more careful this time. You almost lit the ceiling on fire before."

"I didn't though. It just scorched the tiles a little." Jillian narrowed her eyes.

"You could have lit it on fire. You weren't even going to put it out. I had to get the extinguisher." Sammie frowned.

"Then what's the problem?" Jillian frowned. "I was in charge of testing the limits, and you did safety... But I'm working with Kevin this time, so it shouldn't matter. And Kevin's not a jock either. He's actually really nice."

"But Bridgette-" Sammie started.

"No." Jillian interrupted. "Bridgette threatened me too, but it's not up to her. Ms. Covington chose the pairs she wanted. She probably wouldn't let us switch anyway."

"She might if we both talk to her - if you promise to be more careful and we both say our partners aren't helping enough. That we feel like it's not fair that we're both gonna work hard and neither of them are." Sammie went on.

Jillian stared at her with a frown. That wasn't even true about Kevin. Kevin was helping. He seemed kind of confused, but he didn't appear to be lazy about it. He was going to help with the project. His help might make things harder, but he was trying.

"So do... you..." Sammie looked and sounded distracted. Jillian frowned as the other girl inhaled a small breath as she looked past Jillian's shoulder and took a small step back.

"Watch out!" Someone yelled as Jillian felt hands on her back, shoving her hard from behind.

Jillian gasped as she stumbled forward, dropping her books so that she could catch herself with her hands against the wall she had just been shoved toward. She breathed in a sharp breath and blinked back tears as she caught herself, landing hard against the wall with her wrist absorbing most of the impact.

She winced as she slid down to the floor next and brought her arm up, hugging it protectively against her chest. She felt tears in her eyes as she hugged her arm. Her wrist really hurt.

"Ha ha. Watch where you're going, idiot!" She recognized Richard's voice now. He sounded thoroughly amused.

She turned toward him with a frown.

"You okay, Jellyfish?" He laughed as he reached out toward her.

Jillian looked up with a pout as she shoved his hand away. The last thing she wanted was him pretending to help her after what he'd just done. She knew for a fact he had pushed her on purpose, and now her wrist hurt. She hoped it wasn't broken or sprained.

"Let me help you up." Richard offered a mock-pout. "Not my fault you're clumsy. I'm trying to be nice to you." He reached out again, grabbing at her already-throbbing wrist and gripping it hard.

"Stop!" She slapped at his hand again as she pulled her arm back. "Leave me alone!" She demanded, letting her eyes scan the area and taking in all of the people nearby who had witnessed this but who weren't making any move to do anything about it.

Richard was with another boy whose name Jillian didn't know. He looked like a junior or senior. He was smirking. A few girls in expensive skirts and sweaters stood at their lockers nearby, simply staring. A small group of boys walked by, glanced down at her, laughed, and kept going. Sammie had taken several steps back and stared as well. No one was offering to help her. No one was telling Richard to back off and stop harassing her.

"I'm helping you, you ungrateful little bitch." Richard scowled, reaching for her arms and grabbing her in a more firm grip as he hauled her up off the floor.

Jillian winced under his hands as she looked back toward his unnamed friend, who was bending over and picking up her books. He picked up Romeo and Juliet and tossed it like a frisbee. "Somebody catch!" He laughed.

Jillian frowned as she tried to pull her arms free from Richard's grip as his friend kicked her other books so that they slid one at a time down the hall in various directions.

"Get off of me!" She demanded again.

"Where've you been?" Richard asked. "Michael's been looking for you."

Jillian pulled at her arms again as she looked past Richard's shoulder at Sammie, who had taken even more steps back. As she struggled to free her arms, Richard's grip tightened, squeezing around both of her forearms, making her already hurt wrist hurt a lot more.

"Let go of me!" Jillian winced, hearing tears shaking in her own voice.

"What's wrong with you?" Richard laughed. "I'm not even being that mean. You tripped and I'm helping you up. Relax."

"Let me go!" Jillian whimpered as he squeezed her wrist tighter. "You're hurting me!"

"No I'm not. Just hold still. If I let go of you now you'd probably fall back against the floor anyway. Stop freaking out and maybe I'll let go." He laughed.

She finally forced herself to hold still, but her breaths were still sharp. She was mad, but she was also scared. Richard hadn't exactly been nice to her in the past, and clearly the other kids in the hallway weren't going to stop him if he chose to do something cruel to her.

He slowly released his hold on her and she immediately hugged her wrist back against her chest.

"Did you hurt your arm, Jelly?" Richard frowned, reaching back toward her hand and grabbing it, pulling her arm along with it out so he could see.

"Stop!" Jillian whimpered, but couldn't pull her arm back without hurting her wrist more.

"Calm down, kid. Richard's gonna study to be a doctor." His friend noted.

"No he's not." Jillian growled as Richard slid her sleeve up her arm. "Doctors help people. Richard just hurts people. Doctors are intelligent. Richard's not."

Richard suddenly gripped her hand tighter. So tight in fact that she wondered if he might crush the bones in her fingers and palm. He glared down at her with a look in his eyes that said he really wanted to cause her pain.

Jillian stared up at him with wide eyes, wincing softly as she wondered if she should have just kept her mouth shut. It was hard to let people abuse her without fighting back or saying anything to defend herself, but almost every time shutting up and being passive like Sammie would have made things a lot less painful. When was she ever going to let herself learn and apply that?

Richard put his hand lightly against her wrist. "Is this where it hurts?" He asked in a low voice. He sounded mad.

Jillian simply stared back and swallowed nervously. She couldn't tell him yes... He was gonna do something cruel. She just knew it. So she didn't answer, but her eyes must have answered for her.

He squeezed his hand hard around her wrist so that she whimpered and flinched. "Stop!" She begged, feeling tears stinging at her eyes.

"Don't ever fucking tell me I'm dumb." Richard growled, squeezing his hand even tighter and twisting it slowly before finally letting go and shoving her hard against her collar.

She stumbled so that her back and head hit the wall hard. She choked out a pained wince and slid down the wall as she cowered down. Richard and his friend were still hovering over her. His friend looked kind of uneasy now, but Richard just looked pissed off. His hand was in a fist.

"Come on, man... She's a little kid. Let's just go." His friend suggested with a nervous laugh, putting his hand on Richard's shoulder.

"If you wanna go to school with the big kids, you're gonna play by our rules. You're gonna show me some fucking respect." Richard growled down at her. "I'm a senior. I'm in charge around here. I don't let freshman talk down to me."

"You pushed me." Jillian's voice shook as she defended her actions and words. It wasn't like she just ran up to him and called him a moron. He attacked her, and was still attacking her when she implied he was stupid.

She whimpered and brought her uninjured arm up to shield herself as he reached down toward her again. She thought he might grab her and drag her up off the floor, but he didn't. Instead he just shoved her hard from where she was so that she was fully on the ground. He knelt down next to her as he held her arms in tight fists against her chest.

"I could really hurt you." He threatened as he leaned down close. "You're so small... It would be easy."

"I don't doubt that." She breathed, feeling herself shaking under his hands. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't."

"Why do you always do that? Why do you always have to say some smart-ass comment?" Richard scowled down at her as he squeezed her arms tighter. "Why can't you just shut the fuck up? It's like you want to piss people off... Every time I'm fucking with you, just having a little fun, and you start saying all that smart shit... It just makes me mad. If you'd just shut up once in a while, you wouldn't infuriate people. Your little mouth makes people want to hurt you, Jellybean. You realize that?"

Jillian shook her head and shrugged slightly as she stared up at him. "I don't even always say anything... But I'm pretty sure it's a defense mechanism. If you can't beat people physically, you've gotta beat them verbally. You're holding me down against the floor... You're a lot bigger than I am. Talking is the only thing I can do."

"God. You're so fucking autistic." Richard scoffed and rolled his eyes, letting go of her with one of his hands and slapping it against her cheek - not hard enough to leave a bruise, but hard enough that it stung.

Jillian breathed in a sharp breath as she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face to the side.

"I gotta get to class." Richard breathed.

Jillian kept her eyes closed as she shrunk down against the floor.

"I'll see you later." Richard threatened, standing up and putting his foot on her shoulder. She shrunk back very slightly, but knew better than to try to fight back or get up and run. This was winding down. He was almost finished. He already said he was going to leave now. She just needed to make it a few more seconds. Then he'd be gone.

He kicked her shoulder so that she was forced to roll onto her side. She was glad he was more nudging her than actually kicking though. That could have really hurt if he put his full strength into it.

Jillian kept her head down and didn't make a move to stand until she heard Richard and his friend's feet moving away from her. She cautiously looked around herself from her place on the floor. They were gone. The girls in the sweaters and skirts had left too. It seemed like everyone had.

She exhaled and pulled herself up to a sitting position, but scooted back against the wall rather than standing up. She closed her eyes and leaned her head tiredly back against the wall. Why couldn't she just exist without this kind of shit following her everywhere? She supposed it could have been worse. Richard just shoved her and grabbed her kinda hard. He hadn't hurt her too badly, and didn't even sexually harass her this time. She was lucky he cared about not being late to class today. When he or Michael or Bryan cornered her during lunch or after school - when they weren't on a schedule and had more time, things were usually worse.

"Jillian?" Sammie's voice spoke from nearby.

Jillian frowned as she blinked her eyes open. Sammie was standing over her, holding Jillian's books in her hands.

"Are you okay?" Sammie asked, her voice small.

Jillian shook her head no. She looked down at her wrist and rotated it slowly. Maybe it wasn't broken after all. It had hurt pretty bad at first, but the pain was already getting much more tolerable. A broken wrist would be excruciating and the pain wouldn't have lessened.

"Is your arm alright?" Sammie went on.

Jillian felt a pout forming on her lips as she stared up at Sammie. The older girl had just stood there while Richard was pushing her and grabbing her. Jillian had kept telling him to stop. She specifically told him that his grip was hurting her, and he'd made an obvious effort to hurt her more after. The interaction was clearly unpleasant and painful, and Sammie didn't step in or even say anything. She could have at the very least been a second voice telling Richard to stop. She had even quietly backed up and distanced herself instead.

"Jillian... Do you want me to take you to the nurse?" Sammie frowned.

Jillian exhaled and shook her head tiredly. She couldn't draw that kind of attention to this. Besides, it seemed she was physically okay. This wasn't the worst thing bullies had ever done to her... but she wasn't okay with the situation. What had just happened was bullshit. Two older boys just attacked her for no reason while her other peers stood around staring or laughing. Even her almost-ally Sammie hadn't done anything to help.

"Do you want help up?" Sammie asked with a small shrug, kind of moving her hand toward Jillian, but not close enough for the younger girl to reach it. Sammie seemed very hesitant, almost like she expected that Jillian might attack her herself.

"Why didn't you help me, Sammie?" Jillian pouted.

Sammie opened her mouth, but seemed unable to find the proper words as she drew her hand back even more.

"I would have helped you. I have helped you. When Bridgette grabbed your hair and said she was gonna cut one of your braids off if you didn't do her assignment for her, I helped you. I told her to stop and I grabbed the scissors out of her hand." Jillian reminded her.

"And then she poured acid on your notebook." Sammie noted.

"But she stopped harassing you." Jillian went on. "People like you and me should help each other. No one else is gonna. You want to be my lab partner because no one likes either one of us. You use the fact that people hate me too so you don't end up alone... but you're never there when it matters."

"They would have just hurt me too." Sammie frowned, looking away. "I got your books for you."

Jillian shook her head and dragged herself up to her feet, taking her books from Sammie. "I would have helped you anyway. I knew Bridgette would probably do something mean to me, but I wasn't gonna just let her cut your hair. I stood up for you anyway." She reminded the other girl as she started walking toward English, which she was very likely going to be late to.

"I was just scared, Jillian... I'm sorry." Sammie whispered.

"Forget it." Jillian shook her head. She couldn't expect Sammie to stand up for her. The same girl didn't invite her to leave at lunch either. Sammie wasn't her friend. They were just both targets and Jillian had confused that for a meaningful bond. There could have been a bond formed out of their similar situation, but there just wasn't.

"So can we be lab partners?" Sammie continued as she jogged up to Jillian's side.

"No. I'm with Kevin." Jillian refused.

"But Bridgette-" Sammie started.

"No." Jillian interrupted, frowning as she looked over at Sammie with furrowed brows. "If Bridgette's being mean to you, tell her to fucking stop. Kevin and I are assigned to work together, and that's the end of it."

"But he's not even smart... You and I could do something really cool." Sammie persisted. "We'd have the best project in class."

"I'm gonna have the best project anyway." Jillian told her. "And Kevin's gonna help me. And it's probably gonna involve fire."

Sammie frowned as she exhaled and stopped following Jillian.

Jillian felt a smile on her face as she continued down the hallway. She wasn't letting Bridgette have this one. Although she still felt scared of going to Chemistry class and facing Kevin - knowing Bridgette would be there too, watching her every move, she knew she had to do it. She didn't want to be passive like Sammie. That's not who Jillian was.

She didn't know how this was going to turn out - what Bridgette would do... but she wasn't going to let herself be pushed around. She wasn't going to be forced to work with Sammie ever again.

xxxxxx


	6. Naphtha Fireballs

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Chapter 6: Naphtha Fireballs  
Tuesday: Seventh Hour Chemistry

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Jillian made it through most of the rest of the day without incident. She went to all of her classes after first hour. She sneaked into the art room and sat silently with the weird kids who were working on their paintings over lunch. None of them talked - not even to each other. She was okay with this.

She just didn't want to be alone. Rex was kind of creeping her out. She didn't want to be out in the open where bullies could find her, but didn't want to be alone where Rex could find her either.

But now she had to go to her last class - Chemistry. It was a class she was good at. A class she didn't want to miss. She couldn't hide forever, and she couldn't sacrifice her GPA because Bridgette was a jerk. She had to go, and she had to stand up for herself.

She sneaked in quietly, sitting in the back and hoping Kevin wouldn't approach her. Although she wasn't going to give in to Bridgette and switch partners, she also wasn't fully prepared to actually deal with this. She'd really prefer to just not talk to Kevin at all - not make Bridgette mad, but not give her her way either. Just push this issue to the side to deal with later.

Sometimes Ms. Covington let them work on group projects during class, but not every time. She hoped they wouldn't be expected to work on their midterm projects today. She didn't want to talk to Kevin. Not with Bridgette right here in the same class. She didn't know if she had it in her to tell Kevin to back off and not talk to her anymore, and she really didn't want to... But she didn't want the alternative either. She really just hoped she could avoid him all together for now.

Jillian sunk down in her seat and picked up her text book, opening it up and holding it in front of her face as she noticed Kevin making his way into the room.

"Jillian!" He immediately smiled as he walked toward her.

She shook her head and shrunk down further, hoping he'd un-see her and leave. He didn't sit at her table. What was he doing?

"Where were you in P.E.?" He frowned as he sat down right next to her.

She shook her head. "I don't know..." She squeaked, leaning slightly away from him.

"You don't know where you were?" He frowned and narrowed his eyes.

Jillian glanced across the room, noticing Bridgette sitting at her table and glaring at her. She swallowed. "I wasn't there..." Jillian spoke, trying to upkeep her conversation with Kevin without thinking. Bridgette looked mad. What did she honestly expect Jillian to do? Shove Kevin away and tell him not to even speak to her?

"Yeah, I know. We were supposed to walk together." Kevin noted. "I had to walk with that rude kid, Bryan. He's real full of himself, isn't he?" He laughed.

Jillian focused back on Kevin, looking him up and down. She noticed his glasses didn't have lenses in them. He was wearing a snug-fitting white t-shirt which showed off that his upper-arm muscles were as big as Jillian's thighs. He didn't like Bryan? Bryan was one of Bridgette's group... She wondered if he'd beat up someone like Bryan if he knew how mean the guy was to her. She could tell he could if he wanted to, but did he do stuff like that? He seemed too nice to even beat up bullies who deserved to be beaten up.

"You okay?" Kevin asked when Jillian hadn't responded for a few seconds.

She nodded and swallowed. A part of her wanted to tell him she couldn't work with him. In theory, standing up for herself was what she wanted, but seeing Bridgette over there scowling menacingly at her, she wasn't so sure if remaining partners with Kevin was going to be worth it. She didn't even have to tell him the truth. She didn't even have to be particularly mean about it. She could just say she wanted to be partners with Sammie. She could tell the teacher Kevin wasn't pulling his weight and that she felt cheated by having to work with someone like him.

But that wasn't fair. No matter how she approached it, it would hurt Kevin's feelings and enable Bridgette to continue being controlling and demanding. It wasn't Bridgette's business if a cute boy wanted to be Jillian's friend. If Bridgette weren't an asshole, maybe Kevin could even date her and be friends with Jillian too. It didn't even have to be one or the other.

"So... any ideas on our project?" Kevin wondered. "Ms. Covington said we can work on it today."

"She did?" Jillian looked up toward the front of the room. The teacher was already at her desk looking through her phone again.

"Yeah. The bell rang like five whole minutes ago and she said it." Kevin frowned. "You didn't hear her?"

Jillian shook her head, then glanced at Bridgette again, who was sitting across from Sammie. Sammie looked uncomfortable. She was wearing the same long brown braids she always wore in her hair. Jillian bet Bridgette wasn't being very nice to Sammie. It kind of made her feel bad... But Sammie didn't feel bad leaving Jillian at school every day at lunch while she escaped in her dad's car. It was bad enough that the other girl was too scared to stand up for Jillian out in the hall earlier today... Inviting her to lunch would have been easy and harmless.

Jillian looked back at Kevin and smiled. She wasn't going to back down. Kevin was her lab partner. Bridgette got Sammie. Tough luck.

"If we want to do something pretty straightforward and easy but still cool, we could do naphtha fireballs." Jillian suggested with a shrug.

Kevin nodded, narrowing his eyes. "Yeah... Okay..." He looked kind of confused.

"It's like a lighter fluid but it burns cool. You can hold it in your hand if you're careful. I don't know if it's worthy of a project that's meant to take us a whole month though. It's chemistry... It's not like we're gonna be growing plants or hatching birds... Nothing I can think of for a ten minute demonstration and explanation is gonna take that long to put together. I don't know why she gave us a month." Jillian laughed.

"Why can't we grow plants?" Kevin frowned.

"Well, that's more like Botany or Biology. Chemistry is more... you know... chemical reactions and stuff. I mean, you could spin plants into chemistry if you tried... Most things are chemistry if you think about it. We could make meth." She laughed.

Kevin stared. "I don't know if I want to do that... Isn't that the gateway drug?"

"Um... No... Meth is like the last stop, long after the gate... But I'm kidding." Jillian laughed, glancing toward Bridgette again. The older girl was still glaring at her. Had she ever looked away? Jillian swallowed and looked back at Kevin.

"What about a model of the sun and Venus?" Kevin suggested.

Jillian furrowed her brow. "What?"

"You know, the planets. I know there's more than just the two..." Kevin looked up as though thinking as he pushed his glasses frames up his nose. "What were the other ones... Venus... The sun... uh..." He narrowed his eyes and looked around the room as though expecting to find a poster about it somewhere on the walls.

"The sun?" Jillian frowned. Did he think the sun was a planet?

"Yeah. That's the first planet... Oh. I think I remember now. There's Mercury, Venus, the sun, the moon." Kevin told her. "That's all of 'em I think."

"Just those four?" Jillian frowned, ignoring for now the fact that planets had nothing to do with Chemistry class and that the sun and moon were in fact not planets at all.

"Yeah. That's all of 'em." Kevin shrugged. "We could paper mache some balloons. Hang 'em up. Sun, Venus, Mercury, all spinning around the moon."

"What about Earth?" Jillian wondered.

"Earth's not a planet." Kevin laughed.

She narrowed her eyes. "Then what is it?"

"A globe." He spoke with raised eyebrows and a smug smirk, as though Jillian was the one confused here.

Jillian shook her head, deciding not to bother trying to educate him on this for now. "Planet models aren't really what chemistry is about. We should do something else."

"We could check our phones. Like google chemistry projects." Kevin shrugged, pulling an iPhone out of his pocket.

Jillian licked her lips and looked down at her stack of books, fumbling with the corner of her notebook with her fingers. She didn't have a phone, but didn't want to draw attention to that fact. She had never encountered another high school kid who didn't have one. It was just one more reason she was different than everyone else. "I'll write down ideas." She suggested.

"You don't have your phone? You won't get in trouble." He nodded toward Ms. Covington. "She's on hers too. And she'd never notice anyway. Her nose is mile deep in facebook."

Jillian smiled. "I don't have a phone." She shrugged, hoping Kevin wouldn't judge her for it.

"Oh. Right... You're thirteen." He remembered. "I got my first phone when I was ten... But some parents are different. That's okay. We can just use mine." He offered her a warm smile.

Jillian opened her notebook and started doodling in the margins. She couldn't believe Kevin hadn't made fun of her for anything yet. She was so weird. She didn't have a phone, knew too much about science, was thirteen years old... Everyone else in the school would have jumped all over all of that stuff.

"Baking uh... Lost my place... Said something about baking powder volcano?" Kevin looked up from his phone, then looked down again. "I think I clicked off of it..."

"Baking soda." Jillian corrected. "But she said we can't do volcanoes."

"What's she got against volcanoes?" Kevin frowned.

"Probably too many people do volcanoes. It's easy and too simple. Everyone makes them but half the time they can't even explain what's really a very simple chemical reaction. That's like the stereotype of science projects." Jillian told him.

"What's that mean? Stereotype?" Kevin wondered, saying the word very slowly as his brows furrowed.

"Really?" Jillian fought the urge to laugh as she smirked. She blinked a few times and let her smile fall. She didn't want to make fun of Kevin. He was just weird in a different way than how she was weird - in a more socially acceptable way. For some reason being weirdly dumb was more okay with people than being weirdly smart. "Stereotype is like what everyone thinks of when you bring up a certain thing, even if it's not accurate. Like you think of science projects, and volcano comes to mind. It's often negative though. It usually applies to like, cultures, genders, sexualities. Like if you say women can't drive - that's a stereotype. People believe it, but it's not true."

"Oooh. What is sexuality?" Kevin smiled, blinking slowly.

Jillian parted her lips and stared at him. He was serious. How did he fail to hear any of these really basic words yet in his life... Or maybe he'd heard them and never bothered to ask anyone what they meant until now. "Uh... like gay, straight, bi..." She started, shrugging slightly. How could he not know this. He was a sophomore.

"Bi?" Kevin frowned.

"Bisexual? Like, you like girls and boys?" Jillian explained. He still looked confused. "Sexually? Bi means two - so you like two different genders... Bi like bicycle... Bicycle has two wheels. Bisexual means you like two genders. You'd date boys or girls. Either one."

"Oh..." Kevin nodded and smiled. "Right. I get it. Bicycles. Bisexuals. Makes sense."

Jillian blinked and shook her head. Now she didn't even remember what they had originally been talking about.

Kevin scrolled through his phone some more while Jillian stared up at the ceiling.

She wondered what things would be like if she hadn't skipped eighth grade. Maybe she'd get along with the other kids a little better. She knew it wouldn't be perfect. She never had friends before either... But this year felt so much worse than other years. Not only did she have no friends, but kids two or three years older than her - even six years older, were being relentlessly cruel. At least if she were in eighth grade, the bullies would be other thirteen year olds.

"We could catch orange juice on fire." Kevin suggested as he stared at his phone.

Jillian frowned and leaned over. "Orange peel, Kevin. These are experiments for elementary school."

"What kind of school are we in?" Kevin looked over at her.

"High school, Kevin..." Jillian raised her eyebrows.

Kevin sighed and closed the internet browser. "Class is almost over anyway. Let's do the fireball thing you said."

Jillian nodded. "Okay. Don't try to do it yourself. It can be dangerous. We can talk about it more tomorrow during class if Ms. Covington allows us. Or maybe at P.E. tomorrow. I'll come and walk with you."

"Okay. Cool." Kevin smiled.

Jillian inhaled a small gasp as Kevin leaned over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a half-hug. She felt herself grow stiff. No one ever hugged her. She wasn't sure how to respond.

"Thanks for being cool, Jill." Kevin smiled and pulled out of the hug. "Lots of kids here seem kinda shallow, or like they're trying too hard. It's been difficult to find a friend who doesn't seem to want something. The footballers I think were just trying to recruit me to their team. I don't like football." He frowned and shrugged. "I actually like acting. Maybe modeling. People don't understand that."

Jillian nodded. Could that be possible? That Kevin didn't feel like he fit in either? He was beautiful and the cool kids wanted him to be their friend, but he still felt out of place. That was strange.

Kevin looked up as the bell rang. "Need a ride home again?" He asked as he stood up.

She shook her head. She had science club after school today. "I'm doing something after school. Thanks though."

"Alright. See you tomorrow." He smiled.

"Kevin?" Jillian called after him.

"Yeah?" He turned back.

"Thanks for being my friend." Jillian said softly.

"Any time. See ya." Kevin waved and headed out.

Jillian stayed in her seat until Bridgette left. She waited a few more minutes and then got up and peeked out the door. She didn't see Bridgette. She didn't see any of Bridgette's minions. Most of the other kids had cleared out too, as almost everyone was more than eager to get out and go home as soon as possible.

She headed downstairs toward her locker, feeling both glad and nervous that hardly anyone else was still walking around the halls. On the one hand, fewer people meant less chance of someone mean being around. On the other hand, bullies liked to strike when there were no witnesses.

She shoved her books in her locker and closed it in time to see Bridgette making her way down the hall. She looked mad.

Jillian swallowed and turned to walk the other direction. She heard Bridgette's shoes picking up the pace, so Jillian picked up her pace as well, to a jog... then to a full sprint when she heard the older girl's shoes clicking even more rapidly.

Jillian yelped as Bridgette ran up behind her and grabbed her hair, pulling her painfully backward and throwing her to the floor.

"What did I tell you, you fucking slut?" Bridgette growled.

Jillian whimpered and crawled backward on the floor where she had landed. "Ms. Covington assigned us to work together. What do you want me to do?" She breathed.

"Fail if you have to. I don't care." Bridgette answered as she walked after her, hovering, just daring her to try to stand back up. "I told you not to fucking talk to him, and then I see you in there giggling and flirting like a little slut? You're like twelve. You should be dating little boys, if anything. Not men. Leave the men to the grown ups, you gross little whore."

Jillian glared at her, but remained on the floor, breathing heavy breaths. "I'm not twelve. I'm thirteen. And he's a sophomore in high school, not a grown man. But I'm not flirting. I'm talking to him. Boys and girls can speak to each other without committing to marriage. I know that's a difficult concept. Maybe every word you speak toward a boy is in an effort to date him, but some of us do actually talk to boys like they're regular human beings."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Bridgette growled.

"It means you've gotta calm down and let other girls speak to the boys you like. You don't own Kevin. Have you ever even talked to him? He wouldn't like you telling me I can't be his friend. He likes me. Not how you think, but he appreciates me talking to him... God... Never thought I'd be fighting with some fucking girl over a guy..." She rolled her eyes. What a positively heterosexual thing of her to do.

Suddenly, Bridgette raised up her hand and swung down, hitting Jillian hard across the face.

Jillian cried out brought her hands up to her face. She crawled backward again until Bridgette grabbed her ankle and tugged her roughly back. "Let go!" Jillian screamed, thrashing and kicking out in an effort to break free from the older girl's grip.

"Shut up." Bridgette threatened, climbing on top of her and pressing a hand over her mouth. "If you get me in trouble by screaming, I'll tell Michael to deal with you."

Jillian swallowed and stopped moving. Michael was scarier than Bridgette.

"Don't talk to Kevin again." Bridgette growled, pressing her hand hard over Jillian's mouth. It was hurting the back of her head.

Jillian shook her head, grabbing at Bridgette's hand. She wanted to tell her no, but couldn't speak through her hard hand pressing down.

"Tell me you'll never talk to him again. You're gonna tell him you hate him if you have to. Just don't talk to him." She lifted her hand carefully, giving Jillian room to speak.

"No!" Jillian immediately breathed. "He's my friend, you asshole!"

Bridgette's mouth twitched and her eyes flashed anger before she raised her hand up and hit Jillian again, even harder than before.

Jillian squeezed her eyes shut and brought her hands up to cover her face. She tasted blood in her mouth. Something had cut her lip.

"God damn..." Jillian groaned, bringing her fingers back away from her lip and seeing bright red blood on her fingertips. "Are you wearing a fucking ring?"

Bridgette laughed. "Nope. Just that good at fighting." She swung down again, hitting Jillian's ribs so that she moved her hands down there with a pained groan. Bridgette raised her arm again, taking advantage of the younger girl's hand placement. She hit her in the face again.

Jillian whimpered and covered her face again. "Stop!" She gasped. She felt blood coming from her nose now too and her ribs throbbed.

"Tell me you won't talk to Kevin again. Promise." Bridgette demanded, grabbing at Jillian's arms and pinning them to the floor. Her hands squeezed Jillian's wrists so hard. "Promise, or I'll hit you again, and I'll tell Michael to come do whatever he wants. He's a real pervert when he wants to be."

"I know he is." Jillian growled. "He's been following me around yelling out obscene threats all year."

"Then maybe I'll give him full permission to deliver on those threats." Bridgette whispered as she leaned down closer. "You'd be amazed at the gross shit I've heard him say about you. When it's just him and the boys... When they don't know I'm listening..." She faked a shudder. "It's gross... They think you're a weird little freak, but they'd definitely be willing to do really sick shit to you. If I tell 'em they should... They probably will."

Jillian breathed in a shaking breath and swallowed nervously. That sounded terrifying. She didn't doubt that Bridgette was telling the truth. Michael really might assault her. He had threatened to before... and if he had Bridgette's blessing, maybe he'd finally do it. He and Bridgette weren't dating, but they seemed very close. He'd probably do anything for her.

"Are you gonna talk to Kevin anymore?" Bridgette asked, squeezing Jillian's arms in her hands.

Jillian winced under the older girl's hands and shook her head as she sniffed back tears.

"You gonna tell him you can't be his lab partner anymore?" Bridgette asked.

Jillian nodded.

"Say it." Bridgette demanded.

Jillian inhaled a shaking breath. "I won't talk to him. I won't be his lab partner." She promised.

"Good. Now get the fuck out of my hallway." Bridgette growled, starting to climb up off of her, but slapping her cheek again before standing and walking away.

Jillian whimpered and brought her hands up to her face as she stayed on the ground for a long few moments. She knew she had to pull herself together, at least enough to drag herself up off the floor. She couldn't stay lying in the middle of the hallway with blood all over her nose and mouth. She needed to get up and find somewhere private before anyone saw and asked questions or made fun of her.

So she pulled herself up onto shaking legs, hid her injuries behind her hands, and started down the hallway.

xxxxxx


	7. Why Wouldn't I?

xxxxxx

Chapter 7: Why Wouldn't I?  
Tuesday: After School

xxxxxx

Jillian did her best to hold back her sobs as she walked briskly toward the nearest bathroom. She wanted to cry - like heavy, breathless, uncontrollable sobbing... but she couldn't yet. Not right here in the open where a teacher might hear and ask her what's wrong - or worse, a student might hear and make fun of her or otherwise make everything worse.

She bit back sobs as her lip trembled and she held both hands up to her face, making sure to cover both her nose and mouth enough to hide the blood from anyone who might turn a corner and see her.

Aside from two kids at their lockers who completely ignored her and one walking down the hallway who gave her a weird look, but didn't ask questions, she didn't see anyone.

As she neared the bathroom door, she felt her lungs working overtime as panic and anxiety filled her chest. She was almost there. She could hide in there until she was all cried out, then clean up the blood and decide if she wanted to stick around for Science Club or not.

Pushing against the door, Jillian let out a soft whimper as tears began to fall before she was even inside. It wasn't until she almost collided with someone that her breaths caught in her throat and she shrunk down. Why hadn't she considered someone else might be in the bathroom?

"Excuse me." A voice said. "Sorry... Wait... Are you okay?" The tone changed immediately.

Jillian sniffed back her tears and brought her hands back up to her face, trying to turn away and slip past the other girl. Was it too late to hide the blood from her? If she just ducked into a stall and refused to come out, would this girl take the hint and leave?

"Wait-" A hand reached out and grabbed Jillian's upper arm, stopping her in her tracks.

Jillian froze as she stared down at her arm. This girl's hand was pretty big, but she wasn't grabbing her hard.

"Sorry..." The girl moved her hand back. "What happened to you? Should I get a teacher?"

Jillian shook her head as she stared up at the stranger, a very tall, dark-skinned girl who looked really worried as she stared back.

"You alright?" The girl asked again, leaning down slightly as though trying to get a better look at her.

Jillian breathed in a shaking breath. "Just leave..." She whispered. "I'm fine."

"Aw... Baby, no you're not..." The girl pouted. "What happened?"

Jillian's vision blurred with the tears welling up in her eyes as she stood there, feeling the older girl's eyes scrutinizing everything about her. She felt so close to just breaking down anyway - even though she always told herself to wait until she was in a private place. What if this girl made fun of her? What if she knew Bridgette or Michael or any of the others and told them about this?

"You're bleeding." The girl noted, nodding toward Jillian. "Do you know that?"

Sucking in a very shaking breath, Jillian brought her hands up toward her face, completely hiding behind them as she shrunk down and let her sobs take over. Maybe it was the fact that the older girl looked concerned instead of amused. Maybe it was because she hadn't shrugged the whole situation off when she asked if Jillian was okay and could already see the answer... But for some reason, Jillian felt relatively safe to just let herself cry here even with the girl standing in front of her.

Jillian didn't flinch when she felt the girl's arms wrap around her trembling shoulders. She just continued to sob. Maybe the older girl was saying something to her. She couldn't hear over her own tears and frantic, pained breaths. A part of her felt like she was being rude to keep crying so loudly when someone was clearly trying to speak, but she couldn't help herself. She simply couldn't get her tears to stop.

She couldn't help but to replay this week's events in her head as sobs wracked her body. What could she have done differently? Did she make an obvious mistake? Jillian couldn't claim to be very good at interacting with other humans, but she didn't think she really did all that poorly with Kevin. She talked to him. He talked to her. They were both nice to each other... How had that backfired so spectacularly? It wasn't like she'd kicked a hornet's nest... But then, maybe she kind of had. Her first instinct was that Kevin might become friends with the mean kids and that it might be unwise of her to mess with it... Even if he wasn't the problem here, she always knew the mean kids could be. She knew they might gravitate toward him. She should have known better than to try to be friends with someone so desired by the harshest of the bully group.

Her tears continued as she shrunk down even closer against the unknown girl's chest. She could hardly believe this random girl was being so nice - so willing to hug and console a bloody, teary weirdo she didn't even know... But she was glad for it.

It wasn't fair. Life was bullshit. Jillian only wanted a friend, and she finally found one only to have him taken away the very next day. It wasn't like the girls were going to be nice to her even if she did ditch Kevin... She was doomed either way. Just more doomed in certain ways depending on what she did next. Maybe risking her safety was worth keeping a friend in Kevin... But what exactly would Bridgette do? She said she'd send Michael next... and Michael was really scary. Bridgette was mean and cruel. Michael was a creep... and he was a lot bigger than Bridgette - and usually came with one or two side-kicks who were equally creepy.

She felt her breaths shaking as fresh sobs spilled out. What if Michael and his friends really did attack her? Bridgette was probably telling him right now that he could if she didn't stop talking to Kevin... What if they got it in their heads that they wanted to hurt her and did it regardless? What would they do? All three of the older boys had made sexual comments to her in the past... Would they really act on their words? She knew they were violent and crude, but would they really go that far? She didn't want to find out.

Jillian kept her hands over her face as her tears slowly died down and she became more aware of herself and the other girl. The arms around her shoulders hadn't left. The girl was still hugging her, and was still speaking. Jillian could hear her now that her sobs were dissolving into soft sniffles and shaking breaths.

"You're okay. I've got you..." The girl's voice was soft, gentle, and comforting.

Jillian sniffed a few more times as she finally moved her hands down enough to look up at the girl whose arms were still hugging her close.

"Can I help you get cleaned up?" The older girl offered as soon as she noticed Jillian staring up at her.

Sniffing again, Jillian nodded. She looked down as the girl let go of her and stepped back. She felt kind of scared, honestly. Why was this girl being so nice? She didn't know Jillian. They didn't even know each other's names... Why would someone see her upset and hurt and actually stick around to help? Most people thought it was funny when she was in pain or embarrassed. Or at the very least, they'd walk briskly away and ignore her entirely. Why was this girl trying to make it better?

"Let me see." The girl spoke as she put her fingertips under Jillian's chin and tilted her face up. "Somebody hit you?" She asked.

Jillian swallowed and frowned, but didn't answer. She could feel herself shaking. What if this was all a trap? What if it was so she'd let her guard down? What if this girl knew Bridgette and was going to pretend to help her just to do something mean later?

"My name's Patty." The girl went on as she grabbed a couple paper towels and turned on one of the sinks. "What's you're name?" She looked back with raised eyebrows.

With a slight shake of her head, Jillian bit her lip as she stared wide-eyed back. She couldn't get herself to stop shaking. This was such an overwhelming tone-shift to how people usually treated her. She could barely even make sense of it.

"You're okay." Patty promised when a small smile. "Alright? You're gonna be okay, Baby... You don't have to be scared. I'll help you."

Jillian swallowed nervously, but finally nodded. What was the worst that could happen? If Patty wasn't the one to be cruel to her, someone else would be. It couldn't hurt to give her a chance.

"So what's your name?" Patty asked again.

"J-Jillian Holtzmann." Jillian answered in a shaking, out of breath voice. "Y-you can call me Holtz-" She breathed in another trembling breath. "I mean Holtzmann... Jillian's not a good name. It's like Jelly... and like Jellyfish and stuff, and... I mean... I don't want you to call me anything like that... I know it's dumb-"

"Okay. I'll call you Holtzmann." Patty smiled with raised eyebrows and patted the side of the sink with her hand. "Can you come sit?"

Jillian nodded and swallowed again, looking up at the mirror as she finally noticed her own reflection. She looked like a mess. Her hair was all over the place. She had blood running from her nose and lip down her chin. Some of it had dribbled down onto her neck and shirt. She looked down and pulled her shirt slightly away from her chest. It was now stained with about ten tiny, dark red spots.

"I can help you, Holtzy." Patty reminded her.

Jillian offered a breathless laugh. "Holtzy?" She repeated in a small voice.

"Sorry." Patty shrugged. "Guess I'm quick to give people nicknames. I won't call you that if you don't like it. I didn't even mean to." She offered a small laugh.

"No, that's okay. I kinda like it..." Jillian pulled herself up onto the sink and looked down until she felt Patty's fingers on her chin again, gently making her look up.

"So you gonna tell me what happened?" Patty wondered as she started working on wiping away the blood on Jillian's lips and chin.

Jillian shook her head slightly. "It's not a big deal." She lied.

Patty frowned. "Well, I think it is. There's no reason I think of that someone should have a split lip and bloody nose at school... Unless they accidentally get hit with a basketball or something. Somebody running into the bathroom crying because they're hurt and bleeding is definitely a big deal."

Jillian swallowed.

"Somebody clearly hurt you. That's not okay." Patty frowned.

Jillian exhaled a shaking breath and shrugged a bit. What was Patty going to do about it? Go tell Bridgette to stop and expect her to actually listen? Of course what happened wasn't okay, but there wasn't anything to do that would fix it. Jillian was going to get hit sometimes. That was life.

"I assume it was a kid at school... Right?" Patty asked as she wiped away more blood and furrowed her brows as she looked into Jillian's eyes.

Jillian stared at her with a frown. She couldn't tattle on Bridgette. It wouldn't fix a damn thing.

"Just tell me at least if it was another kid or a grownup." Patty compromised. "You don't have to tell me anything else. Just tell me that much."

With an exhale, Jillian closed her eyes. She supposed that wasn't too much to ask. "You'll stop asking questions if I answer that one?"

Patty nodded as she brought the wet paper towel up toward Jillian's nose, clearing the dried blood off carefully. It was cold, but growing warmer the longer Patty worked.

"It wasn't a grown up." Jillian finally answered.

"Good." Patty offered a very quick half-smile. "Do you want me to take you to the nurse or anything?" She asked. "I could get a teacher."

"No!" Jillian's eyes widened as she shook her head. "Patty, please don't tell anyone..."

"Aren't your parents going to wonder why you've got bruises on your face?" Patty frowned.

Jillian frowned too. "I do?" She felt tears in her eyes again. She hated it when bullying escalated to this kind of thing, mostly because it hurt... but also because everyone asked too many questions. Questions she was scared to answer.

Patty nodded.

Jillian shrugged. Her parents probably wouldn't notice anyway. If they did, she'd tell them she tripped and fell. They'd probably believe it. As for teachers... She'd just say she didn't know. They'd ask again. She'd say it louder... and they'd give up on their mandated reporting because they were frustrated with her enough to no longer care. This wouldn't be the first time she'd gone to her classes covered in bruises, and unfortunately probably wouldn't be the last.

"Was this someone you know?" Patty wondered as she dabbed the paper towel carefully under Jillian's nose. "Why did they do this to you?"

Jillian swallowed and looked into Patty's eyes. The older girl looked so genuinely concerned. She wasn't disgusted by the blood. She wasn't laughing at the situation. She wasn't implying that Jillian deserved this... She was being so nice. So gentle...

Jillian felt herself shaking slightly. She was so hesitant to trust anyone, but she couldn't understand why this girl would possibly help her if she had a nefarious motive. How would that even work? If Patty was going to do something cruel, why clean her up first? Wouldn't she have done it by now?

"You still alright?" Patty frowned.

Nodding, Jillian forced a small smile.

"Good." Patty smiled. "I don't think your nose is broken or anything. You're gonna be okay."

"Why are you being nice to me?" Jillian finally asked, letting her smile fall immediately. She just couldn't understand why Patty would treat her with such care. The older girl didn't even know her.

"Why wouldn't I?" Patty frowned.

Jillian felt a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"You seemed like you needed help." Patty shrugged. "I can't imagine you could have done anything to deserve this."

Jillian nodded slightly. She didn't think she deserved it either. She realized she was weird and unlikable, but she didn't mean to be.

Patty finished cleaning up the blood and then tucked a curl behind Jillian's ear. "How are you getting home?" She asked.

Jillian shook her head. "My mom's supposed to pick me up... But not until after Science Club, and Science Club doesn't start for another hour."

"Oh." Patty frowned. "Do you want to call her and ask if she can come get you?"

Jillian shook her head again. Her mom probably wouldn't answer. She was kind of scatter brained. She also didn't want to explain why she was wanting to go home early. She always did Science Club on tuesday nights, and if she didn't today, her mom was going to ask why. "I'll just go to Science Club like I was going to anyway... I'll be okay now..." She looked down at her lap, where she was fumbling with the lowest button on her shirt.

"What are you going to do until your club?" Patty wondered.

Jillian shrugged. "Hide somewhere?" She laughed. "I think all the mean kids went home already, but it's never a bad idea to hide."

Patty frowned. "You could come to the library with me. I work there before and after school."

"The school's library?" Jillian felt her eyebrows raise. Maybe that's why this girl looked vaguely familiar. She had probably seen her in the library. "Are you a senior?"

"Yeah." Patty smiled. "I work in the library for my student service credit. I'm there before classes, after classes, and during last period. It counts as two credits. I'm supposed to be there now, but I had to pee... Then I ran into you."

Jillian frowned. "Sorry..."

"That's okay. The library's dead after school. There's probably nobody in there, and if there is, they're most likely dropping off books in the return bin or playing on the internet. You can come hang out until your club. I'll be there anyway, and it's always boring after three thirty." Patty explained.

"Okay." Jillian smiled.

Patty smiled too and grabbed her hand to help her jump down off the sink.

xxxxxx


	8. I Didn't Know Ghosts Were Real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with the story. I feel like it had to take a while for all the characters we love to meet in order for it to be more organic, but they're slowly making their way into the story. Erin and Abby will find their way into Jillian's life soon. :)
> 
> But things are about to get more intense and complicated in other regards... There's lots going on in here, and it takes more than finally having a couple friends to solve all your problems...

xxxxxx

Chapter 8: I Didn't Know Ghosts Were Real  
Tuesday: Further After School

xxxxxx

"I'd like to check these out." Jillian told Patty as she placed a large stack of books on the counter. She'd looked through the shelves and found everything she could on spirits, ghosts, and haunting - not fiction though... Real stuff. Accounts from real people who seemed credible. She needed to decide what to do about Rex, but she wanted to better understand the situation first. So far the guy seemed mostly harmless, if a bit clingy... She couldn't exactly say she was scared of him. Maybe a bit annoyed...

Patty frowned as she observed the books. "Ghosts?" She raised her eyebrows as she looked up at Jillian.

Jillian nodded. "This school is haunted." She informed the older girl.

Patty laughed as she scanned the books, but then frowned when she looked up and noticed that Jillian wasn't laughing too. "Wait... You're serious?"

"Yeah." Jillian nodded. She looked around herself cautiously, hoping Rex wasn't lingering around listening. He seemed to know things about her that he really shouldn't know. The only explanation was that he was watching her without telling her. It was kind of creepy. He knew about Kevin and she had no idea Rex had been hanging around anywhere to even see her talking to him.

Patty continued frowning as she looked around too. "What are you doing? You think the school's haunted... Like here? In the library? What are you looking at?"

"Nothing... Just checking." Jillian looked back at her, leaning in close and speaking in a low whisper. "There's a ghost that talks to me down in the basement. I've seen him other places too, but he's only spoken in the basement. Well..." She hesitated. "I guess I didn't actually see him. I see a green glow - not actually him. Maybe he doesn't even have like a ghost-body or anything like that. Maybe the green glow is him. I don't fully understand ghosts yet, but I'm working on it. He's got a voice. Whether or not he has a body remains to be seen."

Patty leaned in closer too, staring with her brows furrowed. "Are you high?" She finally asked in a quiet voice.

Jillian shook her head no. "I thought maybe I was crazy at first too, but I've seen him too many times, and I don't feel like I'm crazy in any other way. If I hallucinate from being crazy, wouldn't I see other stuff besides this one thing?"

Patty's eyes were wide as she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know... I'm not exactly sure how all the different crazies work."

"I don't think I am crazy though." Jillian continued. "I invented a spirit detector that seems to actually work. It was registering stuff before, but I fixed it to where it's more accurate. It's got a stronger signal now, and it works well. I just used it the one time after fixing it, but I put this green slime in it that I found where I saw the ghost once, and rewired some things. It's really good now."

"Baby, no offense... But the more you talk about this, the more crazy you sound." Patty frowned.

"Maybe I can show you." Jillian offered. "He usually only comes out when I'm alone, but he also comes out a lot at night before and after science club. I've seen him in the hallways a couple times. We meet one of the criteria... I'm not alone, but it's night time... Or close enough. We could walk around and look."

Patty frowned and furrowed her brow, but didn't say no. She still stared at Jillian like she thought the younger girl was completely insane.

"Do you want to?" Jillian smiled. "I've never told anyone else about him, and certainly haven't brought anyone else to look for him."

Patty's lips parted, but she hesitated.

"It's not like there's anything to do here." Jillian looked around at the library, which was vacant besides for the two of them. "And if I'm crazy, then it'll just be a walk around the school. No harm done."

"Alright." Patty finally agreed with a slight roll of her eyes and a sigh. "Just because there's nothing going on here anyway..."

Jillian smiled and jumped up and down a bit. She hadn't ever really had the option to bring someone with her to look for Rex. Maybe he really would show himself. Maybe he only showed up when she was alone because she was almost always alone.

"Okay. We can check the basement first." Jillian suggested. "Can I leave my books here?"

Patty nodded as she walked around the counter and followed Jillian.

"The basement doesn't have much. It's just a locked door at the bottom of the stairs." Patty noted as they walked. "You've seen this ghost down there?"

Jillian shook her head. "I know how to get the door to open. I go down there at lunch all the time. Um... Don't tell anyone about that though. The whole point is so I'm alone. I don't want anyone finding out and following me - or teachers or somebody telling me I'm not allowed and fixing the lock."

"My lips are sealed." Patty promised.

"Thanks." Jillian smiled. "So yeah. I can get the door open. Don't close it though, or we'll be locked in. The ghost can unlock it, but I can't seem to get it from the inside."

"Maybe we just won't go in. We can look in from outside the door." Patty suggested.

Jillian shrugged. She felt pretty confident Rex wouldn't lock her in there long-term. He might for a minute - he sort of made a habit of it. But he never kept her locked inside a room for long.

"Is this ghost mean or violent or anything? That's not who hurt you earlier today, is it? Please don't tell me you were running from a damn ghost when I ran into you..." Patty frowned.

Jillian laughed. "No. He's never hurt me. He seems a little possessive - and not even in the ghost-way... He gets jealous for some reason. Hasn't ever been violent. But like, he told me not to date this guy I've been talking to and that I shouldn't even be friends with him. I think he wants to be my only friend. He was my only friend for half a day, and I think he really liked that I didn't have anyone else to talk to. I met him yesterday at lunch. I mean, formally met him."

"What do you mean, formally met him?" Patty frowned.

"I mean, I've been seeing him all year. He's just a greenish glow. I've seen him a lot, kind of. I bet he has a body of some kind - like a shape to him beyond the green light, but he hasn't ever shown himself. He never talked to me until yesterday." Jillian explained.

"What did he say?" Patty grimaced. Jillian could tell the older girl had a growing suspicion that Jillian was insane.

"Well, I had my ghost detector down there and was tuning it up. It started going nuts and I dropped it... But it did register before that, so I figured he was down there... So I started talking first. Telling him I'd be his friend. He locked the door and started talking to me - saying he'd be friends with me, that we were a like - he didn't have friends and was bullied too." Jillian explained, immediately inhaling a sharp breath and walking that admission backwards. "Not that I'm like... bullied... Maybe a little, but not like a big thing..."

"Just somebody hit you and gave you a bloody nose and split your lip." Patty frowned down at her.

Jillian swallowed and looked down, choosing to move the conversation back to Rex. "So yeah. He said he'd be my friend, and then I asked if I could see him, and he didn't want to show himself. He left. But today he seemed annoyed that I make friends with Kevin from my Chemistry class. He gave me a ride home after school yesterday, and he seemed positive that Kevin doesn't really like me and is just using me. No matter how much I told him Kevin was really nice... He just doesn't want me to be friends with him."

Patty stared with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. "So he's jealous when you talk to other people?"

"I guess." Jillian shrugged.

"Holtzy, you're talking to me." Patty noted. "He's not gonna do anything bad, right? I don't want a ghost tryin' to kill me or something for talking to you."

"I thought you didn't even believe he was real, Patty." Jillian remembered with raised eyebrows and a smirk as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't... but you know... just in case. I don't want to mess with a ghost that's gonna get jealous and do something to me. Real or imaginary." Patty frowned.

"I think it'll be okay. He hasn't hurt Kevin, and that's who he's the most jealous of. Maybe he won't even be jealous of you since you're a girl." Jillian guessed. "Although, I did tell him I'm gay, and he could misconstrue this..."

Patty's shoulders slumped. "If a ghost attacks me tonight, I'm gonna be pissed."

"I don't think he will." Jillian persisted as they reached the basement. "So you can open the door by pulling." She started, tugging the door toward her by the handle. "And lifting slightly. I'm sure it's just the reverse to get it from the inside, but last time when Rex closed me in, it didn't work. I was kinda panicked though, so I probably could have gotten it if I tried harder and wasn't freaked out." She laughed.

"Just don't go inside. We'll stay on the outside of it. I don't wanna get locked in." Patty frowned.

Jillian opened the door slowly and peeked inside at the usual sight of stacked furniture and extra odds and ends. "Rex?" She called out cautiously.

"It's got a name?" Patty whispered, grabbing Jillian's arm.

Jillian nodded, feeling kind of amused that Patty was clearly scared here. The older girl was so tall kind of imposing to be honest. She was a senior... And she was the one gripping Jillian's arm and hiding behind the smaller girl like Jillian might protect her from this.

"Rex?" Jillian called again, walking further into the basement as she felt Patty pulling her arm back slightly. "Can you come out? I want you to meet someone."

Patty's fingers gripped around Jillian's arm tighter. "I don't know about this anymore..." Patty breathed. "I mean, logically, I don't know if I even believe in ghosts... but you're creeping me out here. Let's just go back to the library."

"It's okay, Patty. He's nice." Jillian reminded her. "Rex, this is my friend Patty. I mean..." She turned and looked at Patty with a frown. Maybe that was too much. She'd just met this girl. Patty had helped her because she felt sorry for her and because Patty seemed like a nice person who would help anyone she saw who needed it. But that didn't mean everyone she met was her friend. Maybe it was too soon for Jillian to use that word. They didn't even know each other. "Are we friends?" She asked.

"Of course." Patty frowned as though the question was ridiculous.

Jillian smiled, but immediately winced when she felt something grab onto her other arm and tug her back. She saw Patty stumble back in the other direction as the lights in the room flickered and the door slammed closed between them.

Jillian inhaled a sharp breath as she scrambled to her feet and rushed toward the door, grabbing the door knob and trying to turn it. She placed her hand on the door, pushing on it uselessly as she tried to lift it slightly with her other hand. "Patty!" She called out. "You okay?"

"I thought you said the ghost was nice!" Patty grumbled from the other side of the door. "How do you open this again?" Jillian could hear the older girl fumbling with the knob as she tried to open the door from the outside.

"You have to pull and-" Jillian was cut off when something yanked on her arm again, throwing her off of her feet. She landed painfully against the side of a teacher-sized desk. Jillian coughed and groaned as she pulled herself halfway up. "Rex? Is that you?" The green glow filled the room, but Rex didn't normally act like this. Maybe it was a different ghost. It was very possible there was more than one.

"Holtzy?" Patty called from the other side of the door, pounding on it with her fist. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Jillian breathed, climbing back to her feet and looking around the room. "Rex, if that's you, you need to stop." She hissed. "I'm allowed to have other friends... And if it's not you, you also need to stop." She said in case it was a different ghost.

"Should I try to find a janitor or something?" Patty called out. "I can't get the door open."

"Pull and lift!" Jillian called out as she felt invisible hands on her arms again. She cried out a startled scream as whatever grabbed her threw her hard against a stack of student desks. She must have hit her head, because her vision swam. Her breaths felt difficult as she heard desks falling around her.

Jillian covered her head with her arms as she heard and felt the stack of desks wobbling precariously. More clamored to the floor, landing around and on top of her. She curled herself onto a tight ball and whimpered as the desks landed hard against her arms and legs.

"Oh my god!" Patty's voice breathed as she rushed into the room and pulled some desks away.

Jillian kept her head down as the desks around her shifted and moved while Patty worked on unburying her. She could feel herself shaking. Desks had landed all over, hitting her legs, arms, and torso. She felt bruises forming already. She wondered if it was Rex who had attacked her. Why would he do that? Because she made another friend?

"I got you." Patty exhaled as she grabbed Jillian by her arms and quickly pulled her back out of the room. The older girl was pretty much carrying her as she rushed up the stairs and finally put Jillian down in the hallway.

Jillian allowed herself to sink down to the floor as she breathed in and out. Her body was in a lot of pain. She couldn't even be sure how many desks had fallen right onto her, but it had certainly felt like a mountain of them. She didn't think any of her bones were broken. She didn't think she was bleeding... But she did know she hit her head, and she did know the desks had landed on her pretty hard. At the very least, she was going to have some pretty deep bruises. She brought her hand up to the back of her head, feeling for blood.

"Baby, are you alright?" Patty breathed.

Jillian swallowed. She wasn't sure. She continued feeling her hair with a shaking hand. She couldn't really bring herself to answer.

Patty knelt down in front of her and put her hand on Jillian's shoulder, leaning her forward and checking the back of her head herself. "You're not bleeding if that's what you're looking for." Patty told her before leaning back and looking Jillian in the eyes. "Did you hit your head?"

Jillian nodded. "Yeah." She breathed. She heard her voice shaking. "I don't think that was Rex."

"Are you okay?" Patty repeated her earlier question.

"I don't know..." Jillian looked past Patty toward the stairs leading down. Would Rex have really done that? He had never gotten violent before. He did lock her in the basement that first day... but he let her out too. Didn't grab her or throw her into anything. He had seemed a little jealous of Kevin, but not in a violent way. She didn't think so at least.

"Baby, look at me." Patty put her hand on Jillian's cheek and turned her face. Jillian blinked a few times as she stared into Patty's eyes. "Are you okay?" Patty said again, with slow, measured words.

Jillian reached her hand up and put her fingers on Patty's wrist as she stared back. She nodded slightly. "I think so." She whispered.

"Okay... Holtzy, I think we should leave." Patty suggested. "I don't think you need to go to Science Club tonight."

Jillian looked around herself and then down at her watch. "But it's starting in twenty minutes." She breathed.

"Is it required?" Patty asked.

Jillian shook her head.

"Then I think we should leave. Call your mom, tell her you're getting a ride home from a friend. You and I can go get a coffee to kill time until she'd expect you home anyway if you don't want to tell her why you're coming home early." Patty suggested.

Jillian blinked a few times.

"Or I could take you to the ER." Patty added with a concerned frown.

"No..." Jillian shook her head. "I'm okay. I promise."

"Let's go get coffee then. Do you drink coffee?" Patty asked.

Jillian nodded. "Sometimes. If it's something frothy and sweet."

"Okay." Patty breathed with a smile, taking Jillian's hands and pulling her up to her feet. "Let's get your books, lock up the library, and get the hell out of here."

"But I don't have any money." Jillian spoke up.

"I'll buy you something." Patty offered.

"Really?" Jillian smiled.

"Yeah. Come on." Patty put her hand on Jillian's back and almost pushed her along as they walked back to the library. Patty was clearly in a hurry to get out of here.

"I don't think he's gonna attack us again, Patty." Jillian breathed as they made their way through the library doors. "We don't have to rush."

"We don't have to, but we're gonna." Patty forced a laugh, dragging Jillian toward the front desk where they'd left Jillian's stack of ghost books. They collected the books and headed out a nearby side-door into the school's parking lot.

"Wow." Jillian smiled as they approached Patty's car. "You've got your very own car..."

"Yeah." Patty laughed, opening the back door and tossing her bag into the back seat. "I'll take those." She nodded toward the stack of books in Jillian's arms, taking them and placing them carefully on the seat. "It's like a 1999 piece of junk, but it's mine."

"It's cool." Jillian noted, letting her eyes roam over it. She touched the red paint on the door. It was so clean and pretty. "It's sparkly." She noted.

"Yeah. I try to keep it clean. Cost me $3000... so I'm gonna take care of it. Even if it is old and junky." Patty shrugged.

Jillian nodded and climbed into the passenger seat, clicking her seat belt on and looking over at Patty. "Thanks for coming with me." She breathed. "I know you didn't want to... and I'm sorry the ghost attacked us. I really didn't think that was gonna happen. I know you said you were gonna be mad if he attacked you. I didn't know..."

"That's okay." Patty breathed. She seemed nervous.

"Are you alright?" Jillian frowned.

"Yeah... Just... I didn't know ghosts were real..." The older girl laughed.

"Oh. Well... I think they are." Jillian laughed as well.

"Looks like it." Patty exhaled and started driving.

xxxxxx


	9. What Is Ectoplasm?

xxxxxx

Chapter 9: What is Ectoplasm?  
Wednesday: Before School

xxxxxx

As she walked down the sidewalk on her way to school, Jillian watched her feet. She was so confused and anxious lately. She couldn't ride the bus because she didn't want to run into Bridgette and her friends. She didn't know if her ghost friend had attacked her out of jealousy... and she wasn't sure if she could keep being friends with Kevin or if she would have to cut ties even though she really didn't want to.

None of this was fair. If she stopped being Kevin's friend, he wouldn't understand - unless she told him the truth, in which case he'd probably confront Bridgette and just get himself on their list of targets. Would they bully Kevin when he wasn't small and weak like Jillian was? Bridgette had a crush on him. The football players wanted to recruit him... Would Kevin being friends with Jillian be enough for them to pick on him too? Would that even be possible? Or would he hit back hard enough to put an immediate stop to it?

Kevin seemed like he'd be strong enough to fight off any physical bullying, but then, if Bridgette hated him, Michael, Richard, and Bryan would hate him too. If all three of the boys attacked him, Kevin could get seriously hurt, even if he was strong. If Kevin defended her and stood up to the bullies, it probably wouldn't end well for him. Even if he started off taking her side, he might back down and switch sides just to save himself from being harassed all the time. He barely knew her. She wasn't going to be worth the trouble of his whole high school career being reduced to torment.

Or if she told Kevin Bridgette was threatening her, would he realize Jillian was a loser? Maybe he didn't know what a social outcast she was. Maybe he wouldn't want to be her friend anymore if he knew how much the cool kids hated her...

That had happened to her before... There was a new kid in fourth grade who was put in the empty desk next to Jillian on her first day. They talked and the girl seemed to think Jillian was really funny. She even sat with her at lunch. But then one of the popular girls started pointing and laughing and asking the new girl why she was hanging out with the freak. The new girl hadn't joined in on the taunting the first day... She kind of just looked embarrassed and didn't talk for the rest of lunch. And she didn't play with Jillian at recess afterward, and didn't sit with her the day after. That girl never even made friends with the cool kids either. But what they thought of her mattered enough to ditch Jillian, and that hurt.

And then there was Rex. Had he attacked her? Was the ghost who threw her into the desks, threw desks onto her... Was that him? Could jealousy that she had another relationship that resembled friendship make Rex that angry? Even if it wasn't him, there was still a problem here. Something threw her into the desks. If it wasn't Rex, there was another ghost in the school. A mean, violent ghost. Either way, it was an issue. She hoped it wasn't Rex... but what were the chances another ghost showed up in the same place Rex did, just to attack her and Patty?

"Yo, Jellyfish!" Jillian winced and shrunk down as she heard a familiar, anxiety-inducing voice. It was Michael. She had been avoiding him all week, but it looked like her lucky streak was going to end here and now. She knew she couldn't hide from him forever, but she really wasn't ready for this. Not today. Not after everything else that was going on.

Jillian didn't look up, but picked up her pace. Michael was driving. Very slowly, now. He was yelling out his window at her. Maybe if she just kept walking and ignored him, he'd go away. It wasn't like he was gonna just abandon his car to get out and do anything to her.

"Jellyfish!" Michael called again. "Were've you been? I've been trying to talk to you since Monday. You avoiding me? You're hurting my feelings!" He laughed.

Jillian swallowed and walked even faster.

"You want a ride, Babe? You're gonna be late otherwise." Bryan called out from the passenger seat.

With a shaking exhale, Jillian hugged her books tight against her chest and continued her brisk walk.

"We're talking to you, Jellybean. Quit being a bitch." Michael called out. She could hear in his voice that he was getting frustrated by her lack of response. She wasn't sure if that meant he was going to give up soon and leave, or if he was going to get mad and escalate this interaction.

"I'll just walk with her." Bryan suggested with a laugh.

Jillian held her breath as she looked over at the car, which Michael had stopped in the middle of the street. Bryan stepped out and closed his door before jogging up toward her.

She inhaled a sharp breath and moved to run, but he caught up too soon and put his arm heavily around her shoulders, pulling her back toward him.

Jillian swallowed and shrunk down, but he was hugging her pretty tight and she knew she wouldn't be able to shake him off easily. "What do you want?" She finally asked, sounding quite out of breath as panic started setting in.

"Just to walk with you, Babe." Bryan laughed. "You're always alone. I'm trying to be friendly here."

She glanced over at Michael who was still driving very slowly on the road next to them. He was laughing.

"What happened to your face." Bryan pouted as he likely noticed the bruise on her cheek and the cut on her lip from where Bridgette had hit her. He reached up and brushed his fingers over her lips.

"Don't..." She turned her head to the side and looked down.

"Looks like someone got mad and punched you a couple times." Bryan noted as he leaned forward enough to see her and brought his hand back up toward her face, grabbing her rather roughly around her jaw this time.

Jillian stuck her lower lip out and stared at the ground as Bryan stared at her face. She didn't want to look back, even though his eyes were practically drilling holes into her.

"You're kinda cute when you're mad." Bryan laughed. "In a way only a baby lesbian nerd could be. And even with the bruise on your little cheek."

Jillian swallowed and looked down as he let go of her face and dragged her along. She could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes. She was so tired of everyone at school constantly harassing her and making her life hell. She didn't feel like she did anything to warrant this kind of response. A boy in her class talked to her and she didn't run from him. She let herself make a friend. That's all she did. Why did she have to pay so much for that?

"Don't get upset. We don't mind. A little scratch on your lip, a bruise on your cheek? That's not a deal-breaker. You're still cute. Bridgette might not like you, but we still do. Right, Mike?" Bryan yelled out to his brother.

"Right. I'm actually really proud of you, Jelly." Michael mocked. "All this time you've been acting like a weird, reclusive lesbian... And I'm okay with you being a lesbian. I really am. I kind of almost prefer it. If any other girls in the school wanted to fuck you, I'd gladly watch... I mean, really, it's too bad there aren't more lesbians at this school - like hot ones. I'd love to watch you and a hot lesbian do shit to each other."

Jillian felt her heart pounding in her chest as she looked around at the various houses. Everything was so still. Where was everyone? It wasn't like she'd call out for help anyway though. If she did, Bryan and Michael would be so mad. Maybe they'd let her go for the moment, but they'd make up for it later.

"I'll bet you've only read about lesbian sex on the internet." Bryan whispered as he leaned down close. "I know I have... But I'll bet you wouldn't even know what you're doing if you finally found a hot lesbian to fuck around with. She'd have to show you."

Jillian swallowed and shrunk down under his arm. "I'm just trying to go to school..." She breathed.

"I know. So are we. That's why we offered you a ride." Bryan laughed.

"Anyway, it's kind of exciting that you're showing an interest in men now. We've only been waiting all year for a breakthrough like this. Maybe I can teach you some stuff." Michael teased. "I don't know what lesbians do with little ghost tits, but I'm more than happy to show you what men do with 'em."

"I could teach you how to suck a dick. A guy like Kevin is gonna expect stuff like that, and something tells me you don't know how. Alexa probably wouldn't mind if I show you." Bryan whispered. "She'd look at it as charity."

Jillian swallowed and shrunk down as much as she could, but Bryan only gripped his arm around her tighter. "Let go of me..." She finally whispered.

"What?" Bryan laughed, leaning down closer.

"Let go." Jillian growled, feeling anger and fear bubbling up inside her.

"No." Bryan said back, squeezing his arm around her tighter. "And don't make a fucking scene. Babe, if you start screaming or freaking out, I'll let you go for now... but then I'll find you later..." He trailed off.

Jillian breathed in and out. She could feel herself trembling as her vision blurred with unshed tears. She didn't know what to do.

"I'm not kidding." Bryan whispered, leaning in even closer. "I feel you shaking. I know you're getting mad. If you don't play it cool, I'll find a way to get you alone at school. Teachers don't notice anything around here. Fuck, Bridgette beat the shit out of you yesterday and no one cared. I could probably pull your pants down and fuck you right in the middle of the hallway and no one would do anything."

Jillian swallowed and stared ahead as she was forced to continue walking with Bryan down the sidewalk. What he said seemed quite possibly barely exaggerated. The teachers really did fail to pay attention. When Bridgette attacked her yesterday, school had just barely ended. The teachers should have still been around. Surely someone heard something and could have at least stepped out into the hall to check. No one cared when Richard shoved her before that either.

"So don't scream. Don't freak out... Just let me walk with you." Bryan laughed softly. "It's not like I'm gonna drag you into Michael's car. We're not gonna kidnap you, drive you out to the woods and rape and murder you. We probably could... But we won't." He chuckled. "As long as you don't scream or freak out, I mean."

"Okay." Jillian breathed out shakily. "I'm not gonna scream... Just-"

"Just nothing." Bryan laughed. "We want to talk to you. You're gonna let us. End of story. Unless you like tasting floor tiles while someone fucks you from behind, you're gonna shut up and listen."

Jillian choked out a small sob as she shrunk down and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Shh..." Bryan cooed as he ran his hand through her hair and hugged her close against his side. "I won't do it unless you piss me off. Get it? Just calm down and walk with me."

Jillian swallowed and tried to keep her feet moving so she didn't stumble and fall. Bryan wasn't going to stop walking just because Jillian was starting to panic.

"What is it about girls that you like exactly, Jellybean?" Michael called out from his car. "They can't penetrate you with a dick... so I guess they use their fingers? Is that what you like? Fingers sliding in and out of your tight little pussy? Maybe they use their mouths? Fuck, girly... I could do that." He laughed.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" An unfamiliar voice called out as Jillian heard a door across the street slam closed.

She looked up with a small breath as she saw a slightly heavyset girl with glasses and a ponytail walking angrily up to Michael's car.

"You're nineteen years old, Michael. You can't talk to little girls like that. You shouldn't talk to fucking anyone like that." The girl growled as Michael sped up slightly to avoid her coming up to the window.

"Get back in the car, Bryan. This crazy bitch might key my car or something. Let's go." Michael called out with a slight laugh.

"Yeah. Maybe I will, you gross perverts." The girl yelled as she jogged up toward the car and started feeling around in her pocket. "I've got my key right here. I'll write 'sick pieces of shit' on the side, so everyone will know for sure what they already suspect!" She threatened.

"Bye, Babe. Talk to you later." Bryan laughed as he let go of Jillian and ran up to his brother's car.

"Get away from the door, you fat bitch, so he can get in." Michael growled. "We're leaving. Just back off."

"Fuck you, Michael. You don't intimidate me. I'll call the fucking police. Don't think I won't." The girl threatened, pounding her fist on the back of the car as Bryan climbed in and Michael sped off.

Jillian stared at the girl with her mouth hanging open. She couldn't believe her eyes. This girl was barely taller than Jillian. She was just a regular-looking girl. Michael had just called her a fat bitch. She was clearly a likely target for bullies. And yet she just told Michael and Bryan to back off, and they listened. She wasn't scared of them and they knew it... They respected it. She hoped they didn't take their anger out of Jillian later for this.

Jillian continued staring as the other girl exhaled and forced a small smile. "You okay?" She asked as she made her way up onto the sidewalk.

"Yeah." Jillian breathed, sniffing back her tears. "Thanks for making them leave..."

"He didn't hurt you did he?" The girl asked with furrowed brows and a frown.

Jillian shook her head. "No. This is from yesterday." She gestured toward the bruise on her cheek and the cut on her lip. "Not from them." She added with wide eyes.

"Geeze..." The girl frowned. "Someone else beat you up yesterday? You poor thing... Did you tell a teacher?"

Jillian shook her head. "It's fine."

"No it's not." The older girl frowned. "Do you go to the middle school? I could walk in with you and go to the principal. They'll remember me from when I went there. There's a big bullying problem in the schools around here. You've just gotta be firm and persistent. You don't have to put up with shit like that."

"No..." Jillian forced a nervous laugh. "It's okay... I sorted it all out already. They won't do it again." She lied. "I don't go to the middle school though. I'm a freshman." She chose not to disclose the fact that she'd skipped a grade and was only thirteen. She didn't want this girl to judge her. Jillian could be fourteen or fifteen. Maybe she just looked younger than she was. That was possible. This girl couldn't know for sure.

"Oh." The other girl shrugged. "Alright. Well, I'll walk with you then. We're going to the same place. I'm Abby." She held out her hand for Jillian to shake.

"Jillian." She shook her hand back. "Um. Holtzmann. That's my last name."

"Holtzmann is?" Abby asked.

"Yeah. You can call me that instead. That's what I've been having my friends call me lately. The mean kids make fun of Jillian... So I'm going by Holtzmann now. My other friends call me Holtzy sometimes." She went on, realizing as she said it that she was being very generous and liberal with the terms 'friend' and 'friends.' Only Patty called her Holtzy... and they might not even be friends. For all she knew, her conversation and coffee date with Patty was going to be a one-time thing. And Kevin didn't call her Holtzy or Holtzmann either... Not that it mattered. Her friendship with him seemed doomed too.

"Alright, Holtzmann." Abby smiled warmly. "Holtzy." She laughed. "That's kinda cool... So do you always walk to school? I usually don't, but I have before, and I never see you out here walking too. Normally my friend Erin drives me, but she's not going to school today. She's faking sick so she can sleep in and skip her English test. She didn't read the book." Abby shook her head and rolled her eyes with a small laugh.

Jillian smiled as she watched Abby's face while she talked about her friend. Jillian wished she had a friend she could smile and laugh about. Even hearing this girl she just met mention one thing about her friend made Jillian feel a sense of longing in her chest. Abby and Erin drove to school together. School hadn't started yet, but Abby already knew Erin had called in sick, she knew it was fake-sick, and she knew exactly why. That was a lot to know about a person.

"So you walk to school every day?" Abby asked again.

Jillian blinked, realizing she hadn't ever answered the girl the first time she asked. "Oh... Um, no... Not usually. I normally ride the bus."

"Don't the buses go through later?" Abby frowned. "I don't think you missed it yet."

Jillian shook her head. "I'm just tired of riding it. I'd rather walk... Didn't count on Michael and Bryan driving by."

"Do Michael and his brother bother you a lot?" Abby frowned.

Jillian shrugged. She didn't know for sure if telling Abby the whole truth about how often they harassed her was a good idea. Abby seemed like the type who would yell at them or try to fix it, and that was great if Abby was with her at all times to keep them from doing something in retaliation, but she couldn't count on Abby playing body-guard non-stop forever.

"They shouldn't be saying things like that to you. You know that, right?" Abby frowned.

"I know." Jillian breathed.

"If they mess with you again, let me know. I'll do something about it." Abby offered.

"Okay." Jillian forced a smile. She was absolutely not going to take Abby up on that offer.

"Hey!" Abby grinned as she noticed the books in Jillian's arms. "Can I see that?" She gestured toward the one on top.

Jillian shrugged. "Go ahead."

"I've read this!" Abby flipped through the pages. "Did you get to the chapter on ectoplasm?"

Jillian shook her head. She'd barely read any of it yet. That's why she was bringing it to school, to read during lunch and study hall. She wasn't going to go off by herself because she didn't want Rex to confront her. She'd just skip PE. Go to the library instead. Then sit in the open at lunch so no one would mess with her and Rex wouldn't show up... Maybe if she just kept her head down and read her book, no one would bother her. Maybe she'd skip Chemistry too. Just not deal with the Kevin stuff at all today.

"Well, do you know what ectoplasm is?" Abby went on. "Have you heard of it?"

Jillian shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about." She laughed.

"It's a substance left behind by ghosts sometimes. I assume you're interested in ghosts." She nodded back toward Jillian's stack of books. They were all about ghosts, of course, and Abby had noticed. "Well, a lot of ghosts leave behind this strange green goo, and it's called ectoplasm."

"Oh..." Jillian stared with wide eyes. "So that's what that stuff was..." She murmured to herself.

"What?" Abby stared with both surprise and excitement. "What stuff? Did you find ectoplasm?"

Jillian nodded. "At the school."

Abby gasped. "Where? I've seen this strange green glow in certain hallways when I stay late or come in early. It's kind of out of the corner of my eye... I always search for ectoplasm wherever I see the glowing light... But I never find it. And I only ever see the green glow out of the corner of my eye. Any time I turn to look, it's gone. I was starting to think I might be crazy."

"Me too!" Jillian exclaimed. "I was actually starting to think I was nuts! I've seen that same glow - not out of the corner of my eye though. Like, it's all around me, and the ghost talked to me. Twice. I found the ectoplasm in the basement where I always see the ghost, and I used it to tune up my ghost detector."

"Ghost detector!?" Abby gasped. "I've been working on building one too! But I don't have any ectoplasm, so I'm just guessing at the properties to detect and my signal's really weak."

"I used the green goo - the ectoplasm I guess - in mine." Jillian went on. "Mine had a weak signal too at first, but when I found that ectoplasm, I thought I could use it to better tell my machine what it's looking for. And it worked really well the one time I used it... but the ghost is pretty willing to talk to me even without it, so I haven't even used it again. There might be two ghosts. Or else the one really likes me and hates me at the same time." She laughed. "It attacked me last night."

"It did?" Abby frowned.

"Yeah. I still don't know if it's the same ghost that talked to me. It didn't talk last night. It just threw me around and knocked a pile of desks on me. Look." She rolled up her sleeve and showed Abby a long, deep purple bruise along her arm. "A desk did that."

"Ouch..." Abby grimaced.

"Yeah. I met this girl who works in the library. Patty. I got her to walk around and look for ghosts with me, but the ghost got mad and separated us. I know Rex - the ghost that talks to me - he got a little jealous when he noticed I was talking to this guy in my Chemistry class, Kevin... And maybe he was jealous about Patty too. I said she was my friend and that's when the ghost attacked. But he hadn't hurt me ever before then - not about Kevin. He just seemed jealous, not like throw-desks-at-me-mad." Jillian explained. "So maybe it wasn't the same ghost."

"Patty Tolan?" Abby asked.

Jillian shrugged. "She didn't say her last name. She's a tall black girl. A senior."

"Yeah. I know her. Not that well. She's a grade above me. We had a couple classes together last year and the year before." Abby noted. "Did she see the ghost too?"

"I think so. A little at least. It shoved her out of the way and slammed the door between us. So she saw enough." Jillian laughed.

"And Kevin is that new sophomore, right?" Abby wondered.

Jillian nodded.

"My friend Erin has a crush on him." Abby laughed.

"Oh. So do a lot of people, it seems. This mean girl Bridgette said-" Jillian stopped herself in mid-sentence. She was spilling too much information. "Anyway, yeah. There's ghosts in the school for sure. At least one. Maybe more."

"Do you think you could show me some time?" Abby wondered. "I can't ever get close before the green glow disappears. Sounds like the ghost or ghosts are really drawn to you."

Jillian shrugged. "I can show you - but it might get mad and throw something at you... or throw you at something."

"That's okay." Abby insisted. "I've been wanting more evidence for years. I don't mind getting a little beat up in the process."

Jillian laughed. "Remember you said that."

xxxxxx


	10. It's Really Small In There

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Chapter 10: It's Really Small In There  
Wednesday: Lunch

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After successfully ditching P.E. and keeping a low profile up until lunch time, Jillian had found an unoccupied corner of the cafeteria and was slouched down as far as possible behind her book. Her back was to the wall, so no one could sneak up on her from behind, and her face was mostly hidden, so no one should notice her unless they were looking really hard.

She had made it to and through the chapter about ectoplasm. It sounded like that's exactly what she had found downstairs. She had no idea it had a name until today. The book also theorized that ghosts could possibly be caught and contained, and not by any weird kind of seance or anything like that. Real people had built real devices that they claimed could suck ghosts up out of the world and into the devices - trapping them. Keeping them from bothering anyone else ever again.

Some of the devices kept the ghosts inside them. Some obliterated the ghosts completely. Jillian wondered if she could build something like that. She wasn't sure she needed to get rid of Rex... it depended on if he was the same ghost who attacked her... Maybe the one who attacked her was just scared of her. She'd have to research more and then decide if the ghost or ghosts were a legitimate threat.

She sunk down further in her seat as she turned the page of her book. She needed to try to build a device like the ones mentioned in the book, just in case - so she'd have it when she needed it. It couldn't be that hard if other people had done it. It was science. It was either possible or it wasn't. Other people did it - so she could too.

"Hey, Jill." Jillian's eyes widened as she heard the unmistakable sound of Kevin's voice.

She swallowed nervously and sunk further down in her seat, raising her book up more and hoping Kevin would forget he'd already seen her.

"Where were you in P.E. class?" Kevin asked as he sat casually down next to her, clearly not noticing she was trying to hide from him.

"I'm busy." She squeaked, not taking her eyes off of her book as she leaned as far away from him as she could.

He looked at the cover of her book and nodded. "Ghosts. I like it. Is this for our project?"

Jillian frowned and looked over at him. "What?"

"We gonna make a ghost or something?" Kevin wondered.

Jillian stared, blinking a few times and then shaking her head. "No, Kevin... What?" She narrowed her eyes and stared at him harder. "Make a ghost?"

"I dunno. You're the science person." Kevin shrugged.

"No, Kevin." She repeated, still scanning the room nervously. "Not unless you're planning on killing someone. As far as I can tell, that'd be the only way to make a ghost."

"Oh. Well... that probably wouldn't be a good project then." Kevin agreed with a charming grin.

Jillian forced a breathless smile back to him, but immediately regretted it. What if someone saw that? What if Bridgette saw? It certainly looked like she and Kevin were chatting it up, being friends... Maybe even flirting to Bridgette's eyes.

Jillian felt her breaths becoming more and more panicked as she looked around the room more frantically, trying to tell if anyone was watching her. Kevin stood out because he was tall, new, attractive. People were interested in him and paid attention to what he did. Even if Jillian had successfully hidden herself in the corner, Kevin was probably going to draw in attention.

"So why do you keep missing P.E.?" Kevin frowned. "You said we could walk together, but you're never there. I keep having to walk with Bryan."

Jillian shook her head as she continued scanning the room and sinking down in her chair at the same time.

"Who are you looking for?" Kevin asked, starting to follow her gaze with his own eyes.

"Nobody... I've gotta go." Jillian quickly closed her book and stood up.

"Wait!" Kevin reached out and grabbed her arm - not in a way that was rough, but in a firm grip. "What's wrong?" He frowned.

Jillian breathed out a shaking breath and looked around the room more as tears started to sting her eyes. She couldn't be seen talking to him... but she didn't want to be mean. She pulled lightly at her arm as she whimpered a small, panicked noise.

Kevin frowned and let go of her. "Sorry." He said in a low voice. "I didn't hurt your arm did I? I didn't mean to..."

"No... You didn't... I just have to go..." She pushed past him and rushed quickly toward the hall. She didn't want to try to explain this to him and couldn't think of a real excuse for her behavior either. She just needed out of here.

As soon as she turned the corner and was out of sight of everyone in the cafeteria, she ran straight into someone.

With a sharp wince, Jillian stepped back and gasped as she stared wide-eyed at Bridgette, who was glaring right back.

"I can't fucking believe you..." Bridgette breathed, rolling her eyes and grabbing Jillian's arms in a tight, squeezing grip.

Jillian hissed a sharp breath as she looked down at Bridgette's hands around her arms. The older girl started dragging her along down the hallway.

"I didn't do anything!" Jillian gasped.

"You were in there flirting with Kevin! I saw you!" Bridgette rolled her eyes.

"He came up to me... I left as soon as I could. He started talking to me. I tried to hide from him, but he noticed me and started talking to me about our project. What was I supposed to do? I can't force him not to talk to me." Jillian rambled.

"Yes you can!" Bridgette breathed, dragging her down the hallway. "Tell him you think he sucks and to leave you alone. If you're mean enough, he won't want to talk to you. If you really didn't want him talking to you, instead of smiling and giggling like a little slut, you could have told him you hate him. It's not that hard."

"Where are we going?" Jillian breathed. What if she was taking her straight to Michael and Bryan? They were probably still mad about Abby embarrassing them this morning. And they seemed for some reason unwilling to take it out on Abby - probably because they knew she wouldn't put up with it. They were going to take it out on Jillian instead.

"I want you to show me your locker." Bridgette growled.

"What?" Jillian frowned as she stumbled along, forced to either walk or be literally dragged.

"Just what I said." Bridgette sounded out of breath. She was really mad. Jillian could tell.

Jillian didn't really know what else to say until they reached her locker.

Bridgette shoved her roughly so that she stumbled against the locker. She put her hands out and caught herself, then glanced over her shoulder at Bridgette. She was confused.

"Open it." Bridgette demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why?" Jillian whispered. Surely Bridgette was going to do something mean... Steal her books and destroy them, throw a lit lighter inside. Pour something gross in there. She glanced toward the older girl. She didn't seem to be holding anything in her hands. She didn't have a bag or beverage or anything else that looked like she her books wouldn't survive it.

"Open it, or I'll text Michael right now and tell him to come sort you out." Bridgette threatened. "I will personally drag you out to his fucking car and shove you in the trunk if I have to. Then he can take you wherever he wants... Do whatever he wants to you. It won't be anything good."

Jillian's chest felt cold as she swallowed and reached with a shaking hand toward the combination dial. She slowly put in her combination, trying to stall, but knowing she couldn't do so forever.

The lock popped open and Jillian stared silently down at the handle.

"Open it." Bridgette said again.

Jillian frowned and pulled the handle up, swinging the door open and then turning toward Bridgette. "Just do it. Whatever you're gonna put in there... or take out... Just do it." She was so tired of being scared of this girl all the time. "I seriously don't care, Bridgette. And I am gonna keep talking to Kevin. He's my friend, and there's nothing you can-"

She was cut off by her own scream as Bridgette put both hands on her shoulders and shoved her very roughly back against the locker. It wasn't until her back was against the locker, but Bridgette kept pushing, grabbing at her arms and wrestling them down, that Jillian realized what the older girl was doing. She was going to lock Jillian inside.

"Bridgette, don't!" Jillian screamed. No one was going to get her out! There were very few people in this school who would hear her on the inside of the locker and care enough to do anything about it.

"Fuck you." Bridgette growled, snatching her arm and holding it against her chest with one hand as she grabbed toward the other. "Get in there you slimy little slut."

Jillian whimpered and grabbed at the frame of the locker with her free hand while the rest of her was forced backward into the locker. "Let me go!" She begged.

"You better move your little fingers if you don't want me to break 'em, bitch." Bridgette growled as she grabbed the locker door and prepared to slam it.

With a shaking breath, Jillian reluctantly drew her hand back in time for Bridgette to slam the door shut violently, leaving her in the dark, cramped space.

"I know your combination now too, bitch. Don't forget that." Bridgette reminded her. Jillian heard the lock dial spinning as Bridgette made extra certain that she was fully trapped. "Maybe I'll have Michael come get you out if he's bored."

Jillian pressed her hands against the cold metal of the locker as she tried to see out the slits. She could hear Bridgette's feet walking away. She didn't know if she should yell out for help yet or not... She didn't know when would be a smart time to do so.

If the wrong person heard her, things would only worsen from here. They'd either laugh and refuse to let her out, or let her out only to do something mean to her after. Or if it was a teacher, they'd demand answers. What would she say? Maybe she could claim to have locked herself in. That was kind of impossible to do, as she couldn't spin the lock from the inside...

It took a mere few seconds for panic to truly set in. She might be stuck in here for hours... And what if Bridgette really did go get Michael or text him, and told him her combination? Told him to come get her out and do whatever he wanted with her?

Jillian let out a small, shaking whimper as she pushed against the door. It was closed tight. She was starting to feel really claustrophobic. She squeezed her eyes closed and pressed uselessly against the walls of the locker. They felt like they were closing in on her.

"Holtzy?" Jillian held her breath as she heard a familiar voice.

"Patty?" She whispered as she opened her eyes. She peered out the locker slits. She could see Patty's legs and feet. "How did you know I was here?"

"I saw that little jerk shove you in here. You okay?" Patty's voice asked.

Jillian felt her lip trembling. Patty wasn't supposed to know about Bridgette. Jillian had very deliberately kept that from her last night... And now she knew anyway.

"I'm gonna get you out of there." Patty told her. "Tell me your locker combo."

Jillian sniffed back tears. She still felt panicked. Someone on her side in this mess had come to her rescue, but she still felt like things weren't going to be okay. "Don't tell anyone. She'll just be more mad." She called out, her voice shaking. "Patty, you've gotta promise you won't say anything to her... Or to anyone."

"Fine. But you gotta help me get you out. It's locked." Patty reminded her.

Jillian squirmed what little she could inside the cramped space. Her chest felt cold. Her ears felt hot. She felt like she might pass out. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she could barely move in here. "Patty, I want out..." She whimpered.

"I'm gonna get you out." Patty promised. "What's your combination, Baby?"

"Thirteen, Seven, Twenty-two." Jillian called out. "Patty, please hurry." She added.

"I am." Patty spoke as she spun the dial.

It only took less than ten seconds for Patty to finish the combination and pull the door open. She reached in and held onto Jillian's arms to help her climb out.

"Thanks." Jillian breathed, looking down at Patty's shoes. She felt embarrassed. This girl probably wasn't going to put up with her for much longer. So far every time they had encountered each other, Jillian was getting beat up and Patty was having to save her. Patty probably thought she was pathetic.

"Are you okay?" Patty frowned.

Jillian inhaled and exhaled tiredly. "Yeah. I think so... I just got scared." She forced a laugh. "It's really small in there."

"I'll bet it is." Patty looked back at the locker

"Sorry..." Jillian muttered as she stared at Patty's feet.

"For what?" Patty frowned.

Jillian shrugged. "Being such a fuckup... Being so unlikable that everyone just wants to beat me up and shove me in lockers. Even ghosts won't leave alone. I'll understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore. I guess I'm a liability."

"Look at me." Patty spoke up, putting her hand under Jillian's chin and tilting her face up. "I wanna show you something. Give me your hand." She held her hand out.

Jillian frowned, but did as she was asked to do, placing her fingers against Patty's open palm.

"Hold your hand like this." Patty told her, bending Jillian's fingers halfway up and moving her thumb to the side so that her palm was open. "You don't really have to bend your fingers, but it works better if you do..." The older girl explained.

"What will?" Jillian frowned, focusing on Patty's hand gripping hers. Her own hand looked tiny compared to Patty's. She looked up at Patty's eyes. She wished she were taller like Patty. Patty wouldn't fit into these skinny little lockers. She'd probably punch Bridgette hard enough to put a stop to this too.

"If that girl ever bothers you again, hit her with your palm, like this." Patty kept a hold of Jillian's hand and moved her whole arm up toward her own face, slowly. "Hit her in the nose. Palm up. It'll break her nose if you do it right."

"It will?" Jillian frowned. "That might just make things worse... She'd be so mad."

"Mad and scared of you. You haven't ever hurt her back, have you? Right now, she does whatever she wants to you with no consequence. Hit her back in a way that really hurts and she might not want to risk fucking with you again." Patty explained.

Jillian felt her lips twitching toward a smile. "Like this?" She asked, moving her hand slowly up toward Patty to indicate how she'd hit Bridgette if the girl were standing where Patty stood.

"Yeah." Patty nodded. "Just quicker. Right up at her nose. Hard as you can."

"That'd make her so mad..." Jillian laughed nervously. "She'd probably hurt me if I did that..."

"Doesn't she already hurt you?" Patty frowned.

Jillian looked down at the floor. That was true.

"She already does, so just try to hurt her back and see what happens. Maybe it'll get her to stop." Patty suggested.

"Okay..." Jillian agreed with a slight nod. She wasn't sure if she'd actually take that advice, but it was good to know she had the option. She'd rather just avoid coming across Bridgette at all though. Hurting her back might work... Or it might make her mad enough to tell Michael to hurt her instead, which would be much worse. Bridgette was only a couple inches taller than Jillian. The older girl had more muscle, was a little stronger, but wasn't too unfair a match. Michael was huge. His brother and his friend were huge.

"Would it work on someone bigger?" Jillian asked with a small shrug. "Like, hypothetically?"

Patty frowned. "It should... A nose is a nose. If you hit hard enough, you'll break it... Why?"

Jillian shrugged.

"Who's bigger that you might need to fight off?" Patty stared down at her.

"It's not a big deal..." Jillian forced a laugh. "Just sometimes..." She licked her lips and exhaled, looking down at the floor.

"Sometimes what?" Patty frowned. "You gotta tell me now... It's bad enough that Bridgette is picking on you and she's close to the same size as you are... Who else is bothering you?"

Jillian shrugged and offered a tight-lipped smile. "Just a couple senior boys Michael and Richard. And Michael's brother Bryan. They don't usually like hurt me or anything." She laughed nervously. "Usually it's small stuff, or just words."

"So why are you thinking about breaking their noses?" Patty frowned.

"Maybe I don't have to." Jillian laughed. "It's just a thought. Like, I might not do it... But if I have to..."

Patty narrowed her eyes. "Do they threaten to hurt you?"

Jillian swallowed. "A little." She bit her lip, worrying that telling Patty this much was a horrible idea. "It's not a big thing... So don't make it into an issue. Don't talk to them about it or anything... I don't even know if I could call most of it threats... Just they're kind of vulgar and say stuff that's scary because I'm not a hundred percent sure if they're joking or not. They don't say like 'I'm gonna definitely do this to you,' just more like asking if I'd like them to do stuff or suggesting that I would... Saying they could do stuff if they wanted. Or like laughing and offering to teach me things. Like sex things. They're probably just trying to be funny when they say that stuff..."

"That's not funny." Patty frowned.

"I know... I just... If I had to, I wonder if I could break their noses the same way you said..." Jillian shrugged.

Patty nodded slowly. "If you hit hard enough... But you know what else would get senior boys to leave you alone?"

Jillian shook her head as she stared back at Patty with wide eyes.

"If I hit them." Patty raised her eyebrow and smiled.

Jillian let out a small laugh.

"I will." Patty offered. "If they hurt you, or even just threaten to... Let me know, and I'll break their noses myself. I only ever got bullied at this school one damn time. People think I'm a bitch now, but they don't bother me."

"They think you're a bitch?" Jillian narrowed her eyes. Patty was the nicest person Jillian had ever met.

"The racist prick who I punched does. People who didn't hear the whole story do... But no one bothers me. I can probably extend that to you pretty easily." Patty offered.

Jillian shook her head. It probably wouldn't work. They'd probably only leave her alone when Patty was right there with her - just like they got scared and left when Abby came up to Michael's car this morning... And then they'd be more mad and hurt her for it later.

She swallowed as she thought about this again. Michael and Bryan were probably still mad about what Abby did... They were probably still going to do something in retaliation... The last thing Jillian needed was another tough-girl fighting her battles for her, pissing all of her bullies off just enough to make them retreat and come back later twice as angry.

"Well... Let me know if you ever need my help with those jerks. I'd be more than happy to show 'em who's boss." Patty offered. "I don't care if they're joking... They shouldn't be saying anything about sex to you, especially if you don't think it's funny. That's harassment."

Jillian exhaled and nodded. It would probably be best to just not put herself into a position where Bridgette or Michael wanted to hurt her. If she didn't speak to Kevin again today, that could solve the problem temporarily. She just needed to skip Chemistry class, and maybe stick around the school long enough for everyone else to leave before going anywhere alone."Patty?" She asked.

"Yeah?" Patty frowned.

"Do you think I could come hang out with you in the library during last hour?" Jillian wondered.

"Sure." Patty shrugged. "You can always come to the library. Everyone's allowed in there."

"You'll be there though, right?" Jillian asked. "I don't want to go to Chemistry."

"You don't like Chemistry? You go to Science Club..." Patty frowned.

"I do like Chemistry... I'm just having an issue with my lab partner. Can I hang out with you?" She asked again.

"Yeah..." Patty furrowed her brow. "I can help you talk to a teacher or something if kids in your Chemistry class are bothering you... You don't have to put up-"

"I know." Jillian interrupted. "Can we just leave it for now though? I appreciate your offer... I just think maybe I can solve it myself instead. I just need to skip Chemistry today."

"Alright... Let me know if you want help with it all." Patty offered. "No one should have to be bullied every day."

xxxxxx


	11. Ghost Girl

xxxxxx

Chapter 11: Ghost Girl  
Thursday: Before School

xxxxxx

Thanks to actively avoiding both Kevin and Bridgette, Jillian was able to make it through the rest of the school day without incident. She waited in the library with Patty until all the other kids had left, but had apparently been very visibly nervous about making it through the building and to her house by herself. She really was just going to walk... but last time she walked, Michael and Bryan had threatened her with stuff that completely terrified her. Patty had obviously sensed her anxiety and agreed to drive her home under the condition that she wait an hour for Patty to get done with her library stuff.

Now it was the next morning and she needed to decide if she'd rather get on the bus and deal with Bridgette and her friends, or walk and risk a repeat of the morning before.

She stood on the inside of her front door, pressing her forehead against it as she thought about her options. The thought of getting on the bus filled her with dread. But at least on the bus, they couldn't do that much... But they could text Michael and Bryan and their friend Richard. They could tell them they knew where she was and they'd know exactly when she arrived at school.

The bus meant she'd definitely be near Bridgette and the other mean girls. Walking meant she might run into the mean boys. Definitely was worse than might... But the girls weren't worse than the boys. Even though the girls had actually physically hurt her, the boys' threats were so sickeningly terrifying that she'd rather face the pain from Bridgette and her friends.

As she stood against the door, closing her eyes and exhaling, she heard the bus pull up and park in front of her house.

"Fuck..." She whispered, totally unready to make this decision. She reached toward the door knob, but paused with her hand on it. She felt frozen in fear. She couldn't bring herself to open it.

The bus horn honked as Jillian felt her lip trembling. She felt her heart sink as she heard the bus pull away. Only then did she open the door, staring with slumped shoulders as the bus drove off down the road.

She'd made her decision... On purpose or not... She'd made it. She couldn't afford to skip school again. She was already going to be in trouble soon for skipping as much as she had lately. She had to go, and her only option was going to be to walk.

So she inhaled a steadying breath and stepped down the stairs and onto the sidewalk.

Jillian kept her head down as she walked briskly down the sidewalk, hugging her books tightly against her chest. Maybe she should have asked Patty to drive her... But then, Patty worked in the library before school, Jillian would have had to get up early. That wouldn't have been the end of the world though. Better than getting sexually harassed and threatened by bullies.

She didn't want to be too needy though. She already feared Patty was going to get sick of her soon. So far Jillian had relied on her to clean up after Bridgette attacked her twice, after the ghost attacked her... She had already forced her way into Patty's space in the library twice and had gotten a ride home from her. If the older girl had to take care of her like a child all the time, Patty was probably gonna split soon.

Jillian inhaled a sharp breath and shrunk down as she heard the unmistakable sound of a car approaching and slowing down. She swallowed when she heard the window rolling down.

Choosing to ignore them, Jillian picked up her pace, pretending she didn't notice.

"Hey, need a ride?" A voice called out. It was a girl's voice... but not Patty...

With a frown, Jillian turned toward the car. A girl she didn't know was driving. Was this really just a random girl offering to pick her up? Why? Was she friends with Bridgette? Was this a trap? She didn't really look like someone who would be friends with Bridgette. She was cute enough, but just didn't have that preppy look about her hair and clothes. She looked too nice to be Bridgette's friend.

Jillian continued silently staring at the girl while the girl's smile turned into a slight frown.

"Holtzy, it's me." Abby's voice called as she leaned over in the passenger seat. "This is my friend, Erin. Erin, this is Jillian Holtzmann. The one with the ghost detector." She told her friend.

"Oh." Jillian smiled, feeling concern and confusion melting off and being replaced with immense relief. She glanced back toward Erin and nodded. Abby had mentioned Erin before.

Erin waved a bit awkwardly. "Hi." She forced a small laugh.

"So... you want a ride?" Abby asked her the question again when she failed to answer.

"Yeah." Jillian nodded quickly, rushing up toward the car and climbing into the back. "Thank you..." She breathed, honestly more relieved than she had felt in ages.

"I told Erin about your ghost encounters." Abby told her as Jillian closed the door and clicked her seat belt in place. "She kinda pretends not to believe in ghosts publicly, but she believes in them. She just doesn't want to be made fun of."

"Abby..." Erin grumbled in a soft whisper. "Why do you have to open with that...? I don't even know this girl... No offense." She glanced in the rear view mirror and offered Jillian a small smile.

"I don't make fun of people." Jillian told her. "I get made fun of... I'm really good at that. But I wouldn't do it to someone else. Besides, I believe in ghosts more than anyone, so I wouldn't hold it against you if you believe in them too."

"Erin's seen ghosts before too." Abby told her.

"Abby, stop..." Erin whined.

"You have?" Jillian unclicked her seat belt and leaned forward in the seat, sitting on the edge so she could be between Erin and Abby.

Erin shook her head. "It wasn't... Maybe I didn't even really... Everyone said I was crazy..."

"Well, what happened?" Jillian asked.

Erin frowned and glanced over her shoulder. "Put your seat belt back on! I'm gonna get a ticket."

Jillian exhaled and rolled her eyes, but scooted back a few inches. "Okay, it's on." She lied, noticing Abby smirk as she glanced back and saw her still sitting near the edge of the seat. "So what happened. What kind of ghost did you see?"

"A mean old lady. My neighbor when I was eight." Erin finally answered. "She stood at the end of my bed, just standing... Trying to scare me I guess. It worked." She laughed nervously.

"What did she look like?" Jillian asked, feeling her eyes grow wide.

"Just like a normal lady - like she did when she was alive. Just more ghosty..." Erin shrugged.

"How so?" Jillian narrowed her eyes. "What was 'ghosty' about her?"

"She kind of had this greenish glow to her?" Erin sounded uncertain. "Sort of floated."

Jillian nodded. "That sounds like my ghost. Rex. But I haven't seen him. Just the green part. He talks to me, but I can't see him."

"Mine didn't talk." Erin noted.

"Well, mine only did twice." Jillian shrugged. "Usually he's just a weird green glow. For a long time he was actually. It took ages before he finally said anything. And I still couldn't see him."

"Mine harassed me every night for a year." Erin went on. "She was so scary. I was just eight..."

"That sucks, Erin." Jillian pouted. She knew as well as anyone how awful it was to have someone picking on you relentlessly. Whether the bully was living or dead, that wasn't fair.

Erin exhaled and frowned. "I told everyone and insisted and they just didn't believe me. I finally just had to stop trying to convince them I wasn't lying. Only Abby believed me. The other kids called me 'Ghost Girl' for such a long time. They've finally just now toned it down... "

Jillian laughed.

"It's not funny." Erin glanced back at her. "I'd think you of all people-"

"No..." Jillian interrupted. "It's just, they called you 'Ghost Girl?' They call me 'Ghost Tits!'" She laughed again.

Erin let out a small laugh too. "They do?" She wrinkled her nose, but kept her eyes on the road.

"Well, mine had nothing to do with actual ghosts. I haven't told many people about that. Just you guys and this girl Patty who works in the library. Everyone already hates me, so it's not like I have a reputation to uphold..." She trailed off.

"Why do people call you 'Ghost Tits' then?" Erin frowned.

Jillian laughed and moved her arms to gesture down at her chest. "I hardly have any tits, I guess."

Abby let out a loud laugh.

"Anyway, I was gonna show Abby the ghost if I can get him to come out. I can't tell if it's the same ghost or not, but at least one ghost - if there are two - and the ghost - if there's only one - gets jealous when I have friends... so he might be more willing to come out if I've got more people with me. You're welcome to join us." Jillian offered.

"That might be... interesting." Erin sounded a bit hesitant.

"Maybe you can introduce her to Kevin." Abby suggested. "If she agrees to come with us..."

"Kevin Beckman? New Kevin?" Erin perked up.

Jillian swallowed. She was trying to avoid Kevin still.

"Yeah. She's friends with him. Right, Holtzmann?" Abby smiled.

"Uh..." Jillian paused

"Well, you are. You said yesterday-" Abby stared.

She really did just need to take Patty's advice and punch Bridgette back the next time the older girl threatened or hurt her. She couldn't let Bridgette ruin all of her friendships. She was friends with Kevin, and she was kind of friends with Erin, maybe... She should be allowed to introduce them to each other.

"Okay." Jillian breathed. "Yeah. I'm friends with him. I'll introduce you." She forced a smile.

"Really?" Erin grinned.

"Sure." Jillian shrugged. "Might as well."

"Awesome! Thank you! So how'd you make friends with him?" Erin asked. "No offense... but I was kinda assuming he'd be... like one of the popular kids. I'm not saying you're not really great... Just I was worried he might not give me the time of day because I'm a weird loner science nerd, but-"

Jillian interrupted Erin with a laugh. "I had the same first impression of him, actually. I got partnered up with him for our Chemistry midterm project. I was scared at first - that he'd be a jerk... But he's actually really nice. I guess that'll teach me to stereotype people. Just because he's pretty doesn't mean he's a jerk. I don't like people assuming things about me based on how I look, so I shouldn't have done the same to him."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Erin nodded. "So he's not stuck up or anything?"

Jillian shook her head. "Not at all. He hasn't made fun of me or anything. He seems a little... um... what's the nice word for it... Let's just say he thinks making slime is an appropriate midterm project for high school Chemistry class. And he doesn't know how many months are in a year." She shrugged with a small smile.

Erin narrowed her eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah." Jillian laughed. "But again, he's really nice."

"Do you think he'd like me?" Erin asked with a small shrug like she wanted to make it look like she didn't really care one way or the other.

"Probably. You seem nice." Jillian told her. "He said something about not liking that all the kids at this school want something from him - like the football players being nice just so he'll join their team. But he doesn't like football. He wants to be an actor or a model. I know he looks like he could play sports, but I don't think he's interested in sports."

"Wow." Erin smiled.

"So you'll come ghost-hunting then? As long as I introduce you?" Jillian asked again, just to be sure she wasn't risking Bridgette beating her up for nothing.

"I guess so." Erin agreed. "If we're careful. Has the ghost you saw ever done anything violent? Like, is he a scary ghost? Or just a weird glowing guy?"

"Well... It's unclear." Jillian laughed. "The one named Rex has definitely talked to me, and he seems okay, if a bit jealous. The same ghost, or maybe another - that's the unclear part - did attack me and Patty... He didn't like try to kill us or anything. Just locked me in the basement and threw me into a pile of desks."

She looked up in the front seat and noticed Abby grimacing. Jillian had already told Abby that part, but Abby clearly didn't think Erin was going to respond well to it.

"It wasn't that bad." Jillian added with wide eyes. "And it was just that one thing... He barely hurt Patty, so if he beats someone up again, it'll probably be me." She laughed.

"Well, that's not good though." Erin frowned. "Does he just bother you at school? Did he ever attack you during school or just after?"

"He attacked after school - if it even was the same ghost. Rex says it wasn't him... So if it's a different ghost, I only encountered that one after school. As for Rex - the times it was definitely him - he does talk to me during school, but he's never attacked me... Again - unless that one time it was him. I really can't tell. I just formally met him on Monday." Jillian explained.

"What does that mean, 'formally met him'?" Erin frowned.

"I've been seeing the green glow all year - for months. But he finally said something on Monday. I guess the green glow could honestly be any number of ghosts. Maybe Rex is one of many. How would I know?" Jillian laughed.

"Well, we're gonna find out once and for all, I hope." Abby chimed in. "Sounds like we're close to having a whole ghost-hunting team."

Jillian smiled. She was so glad to have found a group of kids who didn't think she was a weird insane lunatic. These kids were actually interested in ghosts. They didn't make fun of her or laugh at her misfortunes. Instead, they helped her.

Patty saw she was distressed, and she stepped in. Abby and Erin saw her nervously walking to school, clearly in fear... and they picked her up. Kevin offered to walk with her when he saw she always walked alone. She was so lucky to have met them all - and in the span of just a week! They were each kind of weird too in their own way... and that was perfect.

xxxxxx


	12. Sex Ed

xxxxxx

Chapter 12: Sex Ed  
Thursday: First Hour

xxxxxx

"So your spirit detector actually works?" Erin asked as she and Abby followed Jillian to her locker.

"Yeah. I think so." Jillian answered. "It went wild right when I finished it, but I dropped it in a panic and the battery flew out. I never used it again after that. I don't think I really need to, because Rex shows up all on his own. But it does work."

"Abby's only sorta maybe works. The signal is weak and we've never actually found anything other than what could have just been the wind." Erin frowned.

"She needs ectoplasm, I guess." Jillian shrugged.

"Can you bring the detector when we go looking for the ghost? Even if you don't need it... I'd like of like to see how it works." Erin suggested.

"I second that." Abby spoke up. "And maybe you can have a look at mine. Tell me if there's any glaring mistakes."

Jillian nodded.

"Thanks, Holtzy." Abby pulled her into a half-hug.

Jillian smiled and hugged her back.

"We should get to class. Our lockers are upstairs. It was really nice meeting you." Erin smiled.

"You too." Jillian smiled back. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem." Erin answered.

"See ya." Abby waved and walked off.

Jillian finished collecting her books, piling them into her arms and then closing her locker. She exhaled and started down the hall. She was gonna go to P.E. today. She wasn't going to ignore Kevin. She shouldn't have to.

She was almost late already though, so she needed to pick up the pace. She'd spent too much time talking to Abby and Erin. She was just so excited there were other kids at this school who cared about the same things she did - who were willing to give her rides to school and talk to her like she mattered.

"Hey!' Jillian winced and shrunk down as she heard the unmistakable sound of Michael's voice.

She shook her head and quickened her pace.

"Wait up, Jellybean!" Michael laughed as he ran up behind her and grabbed the back of her shirt, easily tugging her backward.

"I thought you said she wasn't gay anymore." His friend Richard laughed as he jogged up beside them. "That shit we just saw looked pretty gay."

"Leave me alone." Jillian frowned.

"Well, you've gotta tell me all about your new girlfriends first." Michael insisted. "That was a cute hug the fat one gave you. And that other one's almost hot... Do you have three-ways or take turns?"

"Stop." Jillian tried to shrug out of Michael's grip.

"Why? You should be excited to share all this. This is big news for you. All year, nobody likes you but us, and now you've got not one, but two girlfriends? What kinds of lesbian stuff do you guys do? Which one fingers you?" Michael laughed. "I hope it's the skinny one."

Jillian grimaced as she tried to shrink down, but Michael just hugged his arm tighter around her shoulders.

"Oh, I get it... They probably have you do stuff to them..." Richard laughed. "They make you lick their cunts or something? They gotta be finger-fucking you right back though. How many fingers do they use?" He reached down toward the front of her pants.

Jillian gasped and flinched away. "Don't touch me..." She breathed, feeling more and more frightened with each passing second. She'd rather Richard shove her and actually physically hurt her than grab toward her clothing and make sexual comments. This was much scarier.

"Well, come on, girly. Tell us all about your girlfriends. We're excited for you." Richard persisted.

"We're not dating." Jillian growled. "Why can't you people understand that I can have friends without having sex with them?"

Michael shrugged. "So you're not a dyke then. You do like dick. Well, you're in luck. Come here. I've got something to show you."

Richard laughed as Michael dragged Jillian down the hallway toward the boy's bathroom.

"Michael don't! Let me go!" Jillian whimpered, dropping her books and grabbing at his arms, trying to pry his hands off of her.

"Just hear me out, Jello." Michael laughed.

Jillian bit her lip as she dragged her feet, but couldn't do anything to keep Michael from pulling her into the bathroom and throwing her to the floor.

She caught herself with her hands and climbed quickly up to her feet. "Don't fucking touch me!" She demanded, her voice shaking with tears as she backed herself up against the wall and breathed in a few trembling breaths.

Richard was blocking the door. There was no way out.

"Calm down." Michael raised his hands in front of himself and laughed.

Jillian's chest felt cold and she was beginning to feel light-headed as she tried to level out her breaths. She had pressed herself against the wall to keep as far away from Michael and Richard as she could, but there was really no way out of this unless they decided to let her go.

"I missed you yesterday, Jellybean." Michael frowned.

Jillian swallowed and whimpered as he took a step toward her.

"Bridgette said she put you in a locker for me, but when I got there, you were gone. That was really disappointing." Michael went on.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Jillian breathed. "I didn't do anything to you..." Her voice was shaking.

"No. You didn't." Michael offered a tight smile. "But you're fucking with Bridgette. She really wants to fuck that new kid, and you won't leave it. I didn't appreciate that fat bitch Abby running out screaming at me like a lunatic yesterday either. Bryan and I weren't gonna hurt you. We were just playing."

Jillian swallowed. "I didn't even know Abby..." She noted. "I didn't tell her to come out when she did... I wasn't fighting with you guys or screaming or anything."

"Good. So you do know not to fight or scream." Michael smiled as he stepped right up to her and put his hand lightly on her cheek.

Jillian breathed a sharp breath and flinched, but tried to stay calm. "What are you gonna do?" She asked in a tiny whisper.

Michael leaned down closer so she could feel the bristly stubble on his jaw brushing against her cheek. "Whatever the hell I feel like, Jellyfish." He whispered.

Richard laughed an annoying chuckle from near the door.

She shrunk down and squeezed her eyes shut as she felt Michael's hands on her arm and her waist. "Please don't hurt me..." She choked, bringing her hands up to her face to hide her tears.

"I'm not." Michael breathed. "This doesn't hurt..." He moved his hand down her stomach and started sliding it up under her shirt.

"Don't!" Jillian gasped, quickly moving her hands down and grabbing at his arm.

"Shhh..." Michael laughed, grabbing at her arms and pinning them up above her head with one of his hands crushing her wrists together against the wall.

"Michael, please don't..." Jillian breathed. "Please stop. Please don't do this..." She begged as the first hour bell started ringing. Great. Now she was going to be late to P.E. If she even made it there at all.

He ran his free hand over her chest and down her stomach, grabbing the bottom of her shirt and pulling it up. "Look, Rich. Ghost Tits does wear a bra." He laughed.

Richard laughed as well as he made his way over, grabbing her shirt from Michael and pulling it up further as Jillian let out a heartbroken sob.

"Shhh..." Richard warned, putting his hand over her face and pressing her head harshly against the wall as he put his other hand over her bra, squeezing her breast painfully. "You're not so sarcastic now, are you?"

Jillian squeezed her eyes shut as she whimpered under Richard's hand. She felt Michael's free hand moving up to her throat, his fingers lightly brushing over her skin.

"You've been being very difficult lately, Jelly." Michael whispered. "Bridgette just wants you to stop flirting with the new kid. Why is that so hard? For someone who claims to be a dyke, you sure can't let that guy go..."

Jillian breathed out a shaking whimper under Richard's hand, but squeezed her eyes closed tighter. Clearly Michael didn't expect a response. She couldn't give one with Richard's hand still pressing so harshly down over her mouth.

"Don't scream, and I'll have Rich move his hand." Michael offered. Jillian opened her eyes to look at him as he continued. "But you're gonna have to give me a kiss." He added with a smug chuckle.

Jillian made a muffled noise and tried to shake her head.

"You'll give me a kiss, or I'm gonna pin you to the floor and fuck you like I should have done right from the start." Michael growled, squeezing his hands tight around her wrists and neck. "Come on, girl... We've been really fucking generous. We have you completely fucking trapped in here, during class. No one's gonna walk in. There's two of us - one of you. You're tiny. We're not. We could have been taking turns on you this whole god damn time. We could have really hurt you, but we didn't. The least you could do is give me a fucking kiss."

Jillian couldn't help but to sob as Michael's grip on both her arms and her throat grew tighter as his anger increased. She didn't want to let him kiss her. But clearly, she'd rather allow that than suffer through the rest of his threats. There was no guarantee that a kiss would be the end of this though.

"She's gotta give me something too." Richard spoke up.

Michael looked over at his friend with raised eyebrows. Jillian stared nervously at him too, as he smiled down at her.

"Take off your shirt and bra and let me touch your little tits." Richard smirked.

Jillian swallowed and stared back. Her chest felt so cold. Her vision seemed dark around the edges. Her heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest. She was so fucking scared.

"So?" Michael looked back at her with raised eyebrows. "Do we have a deal? Kiss for me, tits for him... And then we'll let you go. We'll be really gentle."

Jillian breathed in a shaking breath and closed her eyes tiredly. She felt so lightheaded and panicked. She wondered if she passed out if they would get scared and leave... or if they'd take the opportunity to do things to her while she couldn't fight back.

"It's either that, or we'll hold you down and do all of it and more anyway." Michael reminded her. "There's no room for bargaining here. Kiss and tits without a fight, or we'll take turns fucking you. Those are the only two options. So...? You gonna cooperate?" He stared down at her with a tight-lipped smile.

Jillian swallowed, but opened her eyes and shook her head yes. She didn't have a choice.

"Oh, good. I'm so glad to hear that. As much as I really would like to fuck you..." Michael started. "I just wouldn't feel right doing it with you crying like you have been. I mean, you've been being a little bitch, but not bad enough to make me want to really hurt you like that, you know? Go ahead and move your hand, Rich."

Richard moved his hand and took a step backward as Michael let go of her wrists.

Now that Jillian could breathe through her mouth again, she inhaled a shaking breath. Her nose was starting to get stuffy from crying, so she could breathe much better now... but she still felt light-headed.

"Alright. Remember to kiss back." Michael smirked. "You know how to kiss, don't you?" He frowned and looked down at her.

Jillian felt tears stinging her eyes as her lip quivered. "No." She squeaked.

"Aww..." Michael offered a mock-pout. "That's okay. I'll teach you. Surely you know the basics. We'll do a quick, simple one first." He leaned down toward her, but she couldn't help but to turn her head slightly away. "Don't do that, Jellybean." He warned, leaning back slightly and then moving in again.

Jillian squeezed her eyes shut as she felt Michael's lips brush her own. He kissed, but she didn't kiss back. Instead, she kept her eyes tightly shut and stiffened as she felt his lips touch hers. She breathed in a shaking breath and shrunk down as he pulled back.

"It's like kissing a dead body." Michael laughed as he leaned back. "Now with tongue. You're gonna want to part your lips a little." He instructed, moving his hand up to her jaw and pressing his thumb over her lower lip. "Let my tongue in... I'd appreciate it if you don't act like you're dead too. Kiss me back, Jelly. Damn."

Jillian swallowed and shrunk down as Michael leaned in again, kissing her on the mouth. She couldn't bring herself to part her lips like he'd asked. She just wanted to disappear.

Michael exhaled and drew back again. "If you don't make an effort, the deal's gonna be off the table. Open your mouth and kiss back or we're gonna do the other thing. You understand what I'm saying?"

Jillian felt her lip trembling as tears filled her eyes again. She could swear she heard her heartbeat in her ears and her lungs felt like they were going to break off and die inside her.

"Do you get it, Jellybean?" Michael said again. "Open your mouth, move your tongue. Follow my lead. Or... We'll pin you down on the floor, pull your pants down, and take turns fucking you. You know what that means, right? Did you take sex ed yet?" He mocked. "Fucking means sexual intercourse. Did they teach you about that?"

Jillian whimpered and shrunk down. "Please let me go..." She breathed shakily.

"I mean... You do understand, right? You know what sex is?" Michael laughed. "I'd take my dick out of my pants, pry your little legs apart-"

"Stop..." Jillian breathed, squeezing her eyes closed. She knew exactly what he was threatening to do. She didn't need him to narrate it.

"You're acting like you're confused, Jellybean. Somebody's gotta educate you." Michael went on, running his hand down her stomach and over her hip, rubbing roughly over her thigh. "So your legs would be spread..." He grabbed her leg and shoved it to the side. Jillian felt herself shaking, but she was too scared to move.

Michael laughed and gripped her leg, running his hand up the inside of her thigh. " And in between them, you have this cute, tight little thing called a vagina." He pushed his hand up between her legs. She couldn't help but to whimper and pull them back closed as she squeezed her eyes shut and cowered down as much as she could as Michael went on with his unsolicited explanation. "If I wanted to be nice, maybe I'd finger you first so it doesn't hurt so much, but I don't know if I'm feeling generous. I might just cram my dick in there. Force it if it doesn't fit."

"Stop!" Jillian demanded again, hearing her voice shake and increase in volume.

"Shut your fucking mouth." Michael growled, pushing his hand against her lips. "I'm teaching you something here. You're gonna listen. You kiss me back, or I'm gonna rip your clothes off and fuck you. Those are your only choices, and if you don't kiss me, I'm gonna assume that means you want the other thing. It'll probably hurt for you. Not for me." He smirked. "Or... You could just kiss me back."

Jillian felt tears rolling down her cheeks, catching on Michael's hand until he moved it slowly back off of her mouth.

"So... Does that sound like something you could do?" Michael tilted his head slightly. "Will you kiss me back so Rich and I don't have to take turns wrecking your little pussy? I mean, I really don't mind... I won't be disappointed if you want me to rough-fuck you instead. I thought you'd rather just do the kiss since you're a scared little virgin..."

Jillian shrunk down as much as she could as sobs choked her up. "Please don't..." She begged.

"I won't if you just kiss me." Michael laughed. "Do you think you could do that?"

Jillian hesitated as she sniffed back tears. Of course she'd rather kiss him than the alternative. If she truly did have only two choices here, there was an obvious answer. She finally nodded and swallowed nervously.

"Okay. We'll try it again. Kiss back." He reminded her, leaning toward her as she whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut again.

Jillian could feel his hand on her lower back, pulling her closer against him as his lips touched hers. She reluctantly parted her lips as he asked while squeezing her eyes closed even tighter. She was feeling more and more light headed with each passing second. She felt nauseated. She wondered if she might throw up. What if she threw up in his mouth? He'd be so mad...

She tried to force herself to move her tongue as he slipped his into her mouth. It felt awkward and disgusting. His mouth tasted like what she guessed was some kind of citrus energy drink.

Jillian whimpered again as the kiss continued longer than she expected. He kept moving his tongue around hers as she stopped even trying to move hers back. She wondered if he'd realize she wasn't doing anything back anymore. He was moving his own tongue so much. She could have actually been dead and he probably wouldn't have noticed.

As the awkward, humiliating kiss continued, Jillian's heart pounded in her chest. She was starting to feel really, really faint. She couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed. She couldn't tell if she was standing on her own or if he was holding her up. Her head felt fuzzy and numb. Hot and cold all at once.

She let out a small sob as she heard and felt Michael moan against her mouth. His hands were wandering over her body as the kiss continued. One hand squeezed at her chest while the other slid up the back of her shirt and pulled her closer. She was starting to feel like she couldn't breathe. She was tempted to shove him away just so she could breathe again... but was scared doing so would only mean a lot more humiliation and pain.

Jillian blinked her eyes open as she started feeling very faint. Everything looked cloudy and her head felt like it was full of warm cotton. She really might pass out... and that terrified her. What would Richard and Michael do? Sure, she wouldn't be conscious through it. She wouldn't have to be mentally present... But she didn't want them doing things to her. Not even if she wasn't aware of it.

As Michael continued kissing her, forcing his tongue awkwardly around in her mouth, Jillian reached her hands up and grabbed the front of his shirt, mostly to try to keep herself standing. She blinked and breathed in shaking, shallow breaths and he finally pulled back.

"You're not very good at that." He laughed.

Jillian stared at him, very aware that he looked like he was behind a smoke screen. She felt really sick. She was still grabbing the front of his shirt, scared she'd fall if she let go. Her breaths were quick, but shallow. What she really wanted to do was lay down on the floor, curl herself into a ball, and let herself pass out.

"Did you like that, Jellybean?" Michael mocked, putting his hands over her arms and running them up to meet her grip around his shirt. "You've got a good grip there, girl." He laughed.

"Alright. My turn. Take off your shirt." Richard demanded, grabbing Jillian's arm and pulling her back.

She immediately stumbled and tripped, falling against the floor as she breathed in shaking, shallow breaths. Her lungs didn't feel like they were working. Her breaths were actually starting to sound and feel more like frantic gasps.

"You okay?" Michael sounded like he was frowning.

Jillian shook her head. She didn't feel okay. She tried again to breathe in a full breath, but it just wasn't working. Her breaths felt so short and small. Tears stung her eyes as she put her hand over her chest and tried to breathe.

"Is that like a panic attack or something?" Richard didn't sound as amused anymore either.

"Maybe." Michael squatted down next to her and put his hand on her back as she whimpered and flinched away. "Just breathe." He offered, clearly not realizing his presence was making it worse.

"I can't..." Jillian sobbed, crawling slightly away, as much as she could while so close to passing out.

"Yes you can, girly. Come on." He followed her along the floor as she tried to get away.

"Just let me take off her shirt and feel her tits really quick and then we can go." Richard suggested as he knelt down and grabbed at her shirt.

"No!" Jillian sobbed, still struggling to breathe as she swatted weakly at his hand and crawled toward the sinks, trying to hide under them.

"You gave Michael what he wanted." Richard growled, grabbing at her ankle and tugging her roughly back.

Jillian whimpered as Richard pulled her back and climbed on top of her. She still couldn't breathe. Everything around her was growing dark. Her chest felt frozen.

"Hold on, Rich. She's really freaking out." Michael reminded his friend as he put one hand over Jillian's heart and the other on the side of her face. "Try to breathe, girly. We're not gonna hurt you, okay? We're just having a little fun."

Richard ignored his friend and slid Jillian's shirt up to her arm pits. "God damn." He grumbled. "All this over a fucking kiss? She's such a little drama queen. You got nothing smart to say anymore? I guess now we know where the cocky sarcastic bullshit ends and the tears begin..."

"Please stop." Jillian whimpered between shaking gasps. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to breathe. She felt like she was going to die. Could someone actually die from a panic attack? Was that what this was?

"Her little heart is just pounding, Rich." Michael noted, his hand still over her chest.

"Must have been one hell of a kiss." Richard laughed as he slid Jillian's sports bra up over her breasts. "We're almost done, honey. Just calm down. It's hands on your tits, okay? Not the end of the fucking world."

Jillian let out a shaking sob as she felt Richard's hands grabbing and squeezing at her chest. She moved her hands toward his, trying to pry them off of her, but her movements were weak and seemingly barely noticed. Richard didn't even shove her hands away. He just ignored them.

"There's hardly anything there." Richard laughed, running his fingers over her breasts, rubbing his thumbs harshly over her nipples. His hands were hard, rough, and big. She felt his fingers curling around her ribs toward her back while his palms and thumbs groped her.

"She's got a while still to grow some good ones." Michael noted as he petted the side of her face. "Don't cry, girly. You're okay. Rich isn't going to hurt you." He promised.

"Get off of me..." Jillian whimpered as she squeezed her eyes shut and shoved her hands up against Richard's chest in a weak attempt to push him off of her.

"Shhh..." Richard laughed, all but ignoring her struggles as he squeezed her chest harder. "Have you shown any other boys your tits? Any girls?" He wondered.

Jillian gritted her teeth as she flinched under his hands. She wasn't going to answer that. She hadn't. She hadn't ever dated anyone. Not even close.

"How old are you again?" Richard asked.

Jillian couldn't bring herself to answer. She could barely even breathe, much less speak.

"She's thirteen. Right?" Michael asked her.

Jillian ignored him, squeezing her eyes shut tighter as shaking, frantic sobs shook through her body.

"Damn. That makes me feel kinda like a pervert." Richard laughed. "We could go to jail for this."

"Not if she keeps her damn mouth shut." Michael noted. "You gonna keep your little mouth shut, Jellyfish?"

She kept her eyes closed as she tried to focus on breathing. "Please stop..." She whimpered.

"Are you going to keep your mouth shut?" Michael asked again. "I hope I don't have to hurt you to get you to fucking answer..." His voice had an edge to it as he moved his hand over toward her throat.

"I won't say anything." Jillian breathed. "Please stop..."

"Okay. Good. You better keep that promise. We can both do much worse than this, and you know it." Michael reminded her. "You done, Rich? We should get to class... We're kinda pressing our luck. Someone really could come in here."

"Alright." Richard sighed, squeezing her breasts one last time before standing up. "I'd get outta here quick if I were you." He said to Jillian. "Most guys at this school won't have much sympathy and might take a turn on you themselves if they walk in and see you like this."

Jillian whimpered and brought her hands up toward her bra, trying to grab it and pull it back down with her shaking, fumbling fingers. They felt almost numb. She couldn't get them to function properly.

"Jesus Christ." Michael frowned, finally reaching down and pulling her bra down over her breasts for her. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up off the floor, propping her up against the wall. "You gonna live through this?" He asked, staring intently into her eyes. "If I leave you here, you're not gonna die, are you?"

She shook her head no.

"No you're not gonna die? You good?" Michael asked.

She nodded.

"Alright. God damn..." Michael shook his head and stood up.

Jillian closed her eyes and let out a shaking breath as she heard Michael and Richard leave. They were both laughing before they ever reached the hallway.

xxxxxx


	13. Why Didn't You Stop Them?

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Chapter 13: Why Didn't You Stop Them?  
Thursday: Still First Hour

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Jillian felt like she was in and out of consciousness for the next several minutes. She couldn't fully understand why her body was choosing to react like this. Richard and Michael hadn't hit her, hadn't choked her... She wasn't physically hurt or in pain. Why was she so weak? Could panic and fear really do this?

She couldn't bring herself to try to stand up. She felt like she'd pass out. But as the minutes ticked by, she did feel slowly more and more present. If she just waited five or ten more minutes, she might be able to drag herself up to her feet and force herself to go to P.E. She wondered how much of the class she had already missed. Should she even go at this point? Should she even do anything? Why not just drop out all together? She kept missing classes anyway. Nothing good had happened to her in months. She made some friends, maybe - if it even counted yet - they might still ditch her when they figured out how much of a loser she was...

Jillian sniffed back tears as she brought her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her forehead on her knees. She didn't want to kiss Michael. She wanted her first kiss to be something special. She wanted it to be with a girl, and she didn't want to use her tongue - much less have the other person's forced into her mouth. She wanted it to be with someone her own age - someone she trusted and loved and had gotten to know over weeks or months. And she certainly didn't want what Richard did to happen to her either. Maybe she didn't have much there yet, but her breasts weren't for him. She was supposed to be able to choose who to share them with, and she had intended on making that choice very carefully.

She closed her eyes and breathed in a shaking breath. She wanted to tell herself this wasn't a big deal. They hadn't hurt her. Just a kiss and a touch. That wasn't so bad, right? Her breasts were just another patch of skin. Richard's hands had touched her skin before - on her arms, her face... Those times didn't break her heart, so this time shouldn't either. There were a lot worse things they could have done. They even said so themselves. They could have pulled her pants down and raped her. It was clearly in their heads... They flat out said it. They could have done it. But they didn't. She was okay. The memory of Richard's rough, warm hands pawing at her sensitive flesh would go away, wouldn't it? The warm, citrus taste and feeling of Michael's tongue would go away too.

They could have done worse. They could have, and they didn't. She kept telling herself this, reminding herself that she was going to be okay, because she got off easy. Compared to what she and they all knew they could have gotten away with, she got off easy. Still, no one had come into the bathroom. It had been several minutes since they left. No one had come in. That meant, if they wanted to, they could have stayed longer. They could have kept hurting her. They could have taken turns forcing themselves on her like they threatened to. They would have had time. No one would have stopped them.

She swallowed and bit her lip. She was so lucky it hadn't escalated further. She bet it would have hurt a lot. Michael and Richard were big, tall, muscular, intimidating. If they made her do that, it would definitely hurt her... so she was lucky, right? She didn't need to panic and cry. She needed to be glad it wasn't worse. At least, she wanted to feel that way. She wished she could just forget about it all since it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

"Jillian." A faint voice called as the lights began to flicker.

Jillian felt her lip tremble. She really didn't want to deal with Rex on top of what she'd just been through. She still didn't know if he had been the one to attack her the other night. "Go away." Her voice trembled as she hugged her legs tighter to her chest.

"Did those boys do this?" Rex's voice asked as a green glow filled the bathroom.

Jillian sniffed back tears, but nodded. "Yeah." She whimpered.

"What did they do?" Rex wondered.

Jillian shook her head. "Wouldn't let me leave... Made me kiss them and touched me under my bra..." Her voice shook. "Rex... why didn't you stop them?" She added in a quivering whisper.

"I didn't know." Rex sounded sad.

"You know everything else I do. You seem like you're watching me almost constantly... But then they corner me in here and you have no idea. You see everything I ever do. Everyone I ever talk to... But you conveniently miss this..." Jillian was starting to feel mad. What good was this guy if he stalked her when she didn't want him to, but was nowhere to be found when senior boys decided to sexually assault her?

"Jillian..." Rex's voice was starting to sound angry too. "You told me you didn't want me to do anything. I asked you. Remember? I don't watch you non-stop. I thought you didn't want me to. I check in here and there - make sure you're okay. I know your schedule. I noticed you weren't in the gym..."

Jillian shivered and hugged her arms around herself. "I guess I'm just gonna go to P.E. then. Don't follow me. I don't need you watching me get dressed." She growled.

"Excuse me?" Rex sounded even more angry now.

"You heard me." Jillian pulled herself up onto shaking legs and walked toward the door. She pulled on it, but it didn't budge even an inch. "Open the door, Rex." She growled.

"I'm your only ally, Jillian." He reminded her. "And I don't like you accusing me of having deviant motives."

"Stop acting like you do then." Jillian yanked on the door handle again. "Let me out."

"Not yet." Rex growled.

"So you don't want me to think you have a nefarious motive... but you're locking me in the boy's bathroom... Not letting me leave... Just like the boys who just assaulted me did." Jillian felt her hands clenching into fists. She was so mad. "You don't want me to be friends with Kevin - just like Bridgette. You're keeping me here when I want to leave - just like Michael and Richard... You say you're my friend, but you keep doing all the same things the bullies do. You're not my ally."

"I am, Jillian. More than those girls you've been talking to. More than Kevin." Rex insisted.

"Why? How so?" Jillian asked, squeezing her fists tighter. Her fingernails were biting into her palms, but she didn't care. "Cool that you noticed every conversation I ever had with any of them, while missing Michael and Richard dragging me in here... Kissing me, grabbing all over me. You didn't notice that, but I have one fucking conversation with someone I think I might be able to make friends with, and it's a big deal! You've gotta moderate and discourage it like it's the worst thing that could happen to me. Wouldn't want to take a chance on someone nice... But just go ahead and let Michael and Richard do whatever they want."

"They're using you, Jillian. What those boys did was awful, and I would have stopped them if I knew, but I didn't know. Those girls and Kevin are using you. They haven't hurt you yet, but they will. They're using you. How can you not see that?" Rex told her.

"No, they're not." Jillian disagreed.

"They are. Abby and Erin just want your ghost detector. They want to see a ghost and they know you've got the connection with me. Do you think they'd talk to you if you didn't have that? Patty probably just wants what Michael wants, but is being more tactful about it. She's a senior, Jillian. You're thirteen. Even if she doesn't force you, she's slowly convincing you. She's taking advantage. Kevin only wants that too... That, and your science knowledge. He knows you're going to get him an A on your project. He's a dense idiot, but he's going to get an A thanks to you."

"I don't think Patty's gay." Jillian reminded him. "And Abby helped me before she knew anything about me. It's not that far-fetched that actual people might legitimately like me, Rex." She frowned.

"If Kevin had been here with those senior boys, he'd have joined in." Rex guessed.

Jillian frowned and shook her head. "That's not true. You don't know Kevin at all."

"It's really going to hurt you to have to learn this the hard way. I know you want to think Kevin might really be your friend. I know you'd love for that to be true-" He started.

"It is true!" Jillian interrupted. "They're all actually nice. None of them want anything or are planning anything mean. So what if Abby and Erin are into ghosts just like I am? That's what friends do - they have common interests and talk about those interests. They think my ghost detector sounds cool. Good. It is cool, and now I can share it with someone else who thinks so. Patty's not grooming me either, you sick pervert, and Kevin isn't interested in that either. You've flirted with me more than he has."

"They're using you." Rex repeated.

Jillian shook her head. "Patty helped me when Bridgette hit me, when she locked me in the locker. When you threw me into a pile of desks. I know that was you. I know you're jealous that I have other friends now."

"What are you talking about?" Rex sounded like he was frowning.

"The other night when Patty and I were walking around the school, looking for you. You showed up and separated us and threw me into a pile of desks. They all fell on me. That really hurt." Jillian frowned.

"I didn't do that." Rex insisted.

"So there's another ghost? Another one who has the green glow just like you, who hangs out in the basement, just like you, who makes the lights flicker, just like you." Jillian forced a sarcastic laugh.

"I guess so. I wouldn't hurt you, Jillian." He promised.

"Then open the door and let me leave." She requested. "You're hurting me right now... I'm already late and you're making it worse. Abby, Erin, Patty, and Kevin are my friends. They've helped me and been nice to me. All you do is act creepy. Follow me around and tell me not to have any friends but you."

"I'll just have to prove myself to you." Rex's voice spoke and the green glow disappeared.

Jillian breathed in a small breath as she looked around the room. "What does that mean?" She called out. She received no answer back. "Rex?" She spoke in a whisper.

He still didn't answer.

With a nervous swallow, Jillian pulled on the door. It wasn't stuck closed anymore. She rushed out into the hallway, found her books still scattered on the ground where she'd dropped them, and ran toward the girls' locker room.

She quickly got dressed in her P.E. t-shirt and shorts and ran up the stairs and into the gym. All the other kids were walking laps around the gym like usual, all split up into their friend groups. Kevin was walking with Bryan, Alexa, and Renee across the gym.

Jillian felt her shoulders slump as she looked down. She started walking by herself. She knew Kevin didn't know about all the awful things Bryan, Alexa, and Renee had done, but she couldn't help but to feel almost betrayed.

"Miss Holtzmann, you're late." The P.E. teacher Mr. Grubbs mumbled as he made a check mark on a clipboard he was holding. He was just standing along the sidelines, complaining to various students as they passed. "At least you managed to show up today though." He added as she walked past him, completely ignoring his comments.

"Jill! You're here!" Kevin's voice sounded from behind her as he ran up next to her. "I thought I'd never see you in P.E. again. You've been skipping like every single day."

Jillian inhaled. A large part of her wanted to just run away and continue not dealing with this. A larger part of her though, wanted to stand up for herself. Too many people were telling her she wasn't allowed to have friends, and she was sick of it. She'd gone so long without any real friends. She finally found some, and wasn't going to throw it away.

"You're late though." Kevin noted. "Where were you?"

Jillian forced a smile and shrugged as she glanced across the room, making eye contact with Bryan, Alexa, and Renee. They were all three glaring right at her. She wasn't going to let them intimidate her anymore. She was sick of it. Even when she tried to do what they wanted, they still hurt and abused her. She was done trying. She was going to do what she wanted.

"Kevin." She started, looking up at him as they walked slowly around the perimeter of the gym.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I have a friend you should meet. Her name is Erin and she's really pretty and sweet. I think you'd like her." Jillian suggested.

Kevin smiled. "Really? What grade is she in?"

"Uh... I'm not sure. Older than me." Jillian shrugged.

"Good. I mean, no offense..." Kevin laughed. "You're way too young for me."

"I'm gay anyway, Kevin." Jillian laughed as well.

"You are?" Kevin looked legitimately confused.

"You can't tell?" Jillian raised her eyebrows.

"I dunno. How does someone tell something like that?" Kevin shrugged.

"Everyone else seems to be able to." Jillian shrugged.

Jillian gasped and stumbled forward as someone hit her hard from behind. "Ow!" She cried, turning toward the other person as Kevin caught her.

"Sorry. Guess I wasn't paying attention." Bryan laughed and ran off to meet back up with Alexa and Renee on the other side of the gym.

Jillian glared across the gym at the older girls, who were giggling behind their hands as they stared across the floor at Jillian and Kevin.

"Jill... I think that might've been on purpose." Kevin frowned, but kept his hands on her arms. "Watch where you're going, jerk!" He yelled across the room at Bryan, who scowled back at him as though shocked the other boy would confront his behavior.

"Thanks, Kevin." Jillian breathed.

"The other kids aren't very nice to you, huh?" Kevin frowned.

Jillian swallowed. It had been a fear of hers ever since she met Kevin that he might ditch her once he learned her social status... that he wasn't going to want to be associated with her anymore once he knew the other kids at school thought she was a weird loser. Plenty of kids who had been nice to her at first ended up distancing themselves from her for stuff just like this in the past.

"I don't think I'll walk with them anymore. I don't want to be friends with people like that. It can just be me and you." He offered.

"Really?" Jillian breathed, feeling slightly emotional. Kevin was appealing enough to the cool kids that he could have been friends with anyone... and he wanted to be friends with her? The weird science nerd who wasn't pretty or popular or athletic? She didn't have all the cool clothes, didn't go to the cool parties... wasn't on any sport team... She didn't do anything that was considered appealing to other kids. In fact she seemed to do almost everything that other kids hated instead.

"Sure." Kevin shrugged. "If they're gonna shove my friend around and act like immature jerks, I'm not walking with them. I'm not gonna encourage that kinda thing. You deserve better."

"You know what, Kevin?" Jillian frowned, feeling uncharacteristically talkative. She suddenly felt the urge to tell him everything - or maybe almost everything. "You're right. They're not very nice to me. I can tell you exactly which ones."

"Okay." Kevin nodded. "Then we won't be friends with them. Which ones?"

"Well, those three to start." She nodded toward Alexa, Renee, and Bryan. "But the worst ones are Michael and Richard - they're senior boys. They're really mean to me. And Bridgette, from our Chemistry class. She's jealous that you talk to me, because she likes you, but you shouldn't ever date her. See this." She gestured toward the bruise on her cheek.

"Yeah." Kevin frowned.

"She did that. She beat me up because I wouldn't stop talking to you." Jillian told him, feeling her heart pounding as she let it all spill out. "And yesterday, when I left at lunch, it was because I was scared she'd get mad at me for talking to you. But I guess I didn't leave fast enough, because she locked me in my locker."

"What a bitch. She hit you? Just for talking to me?" Kevin continued frowning. "Yeah. I wouldn't date someone like that."

"Good. Because she's awful." Jillian breathed, feeling both nervous and liberated by telling him.

"Thanks for telling me, Jill. I wouldn't want to be friends with anyone who doesn't treat you fairly." Kevin put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her.

Jillian put her arm around his waist and hugged him back. Now she just hoped none of them would find her when none of her friends were around. She might have just dug her own grave...

xxxxxx


	14. Ghost Tits Fights Back

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Chapter 14: Ghost Tits Fights Back  
Thursday: First Hour P.E.

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Mr. Grubbs blew his whistle. "Everybody go get changed." He grumbled. "Holtzmann, stay back a minute. I need to talk to you."

Jillian exhaled as she felt her shoulders slump.

"See you in Chemistry, Jill. Good luck with that." Kevin nodded toward the teacher.

"Thanks." Jillian breathed, dragging her feet as she walked over to Mr. Grubbs.

"You've missed class a lot this past week." He noted. "And you're late when you do show up. I only got one note from Mr. Nelson. Usually you at least fake sick and get a note from him... Now you just don't show up at all. What's going on with you?"

Jillian swallowed and looked down. She didn't have an excuse, and certainly didn't want to tell a teacher everything she'd just told Kevin. It was one thing for a fellow student to know other kids bullied her. Getting teachers involved always made things worse. She learned that the hard way in sixth grade. The teacher tried to force the other kid to be friends with her - paired them together for projects, sat them together in her seating chart... Even told the bus driver to make assigned seats to force them to be friends. Needless to say, it did not go over well.

"Do you still ride the bus? Are you having trouble getting to school on time? Or are you just skipping because you're lazy?" Grubbs accused.

Jillian shrugged. "I don't know..." She still stared down at the man's feet. His ankles were fat. It was kind of ironic that he'd accuse his students of being lazy when he just stood around all day while making everyone else walk laps.

"If you skip again, you might as well just drop the class and take a study hall. You're going to fail if you don't ever show up. Jesus, Holtzmann. All you gotta do is show up and walk laps. It's not difficult." Grubbs complained. "You're a really smart girl. Don't let not wanting to come to P.E. screw up your grades. I don't ask for much."

Jillian nodded. "I'll show up from now on."

"If you've got a good excuse I'd be glad to hear it, Hun, but you can't just not show up, or arrive when we've only got fifteen minutes left and stay silent about why." Grubbs continued. "Is there a reason?"

Jillian widened her eyes and shook her head.

Mr. Grubbs offered a forced laugh and sighed. "I can't help you kids if you don't let me."

"Yeah, everyone says that." Jillian breathed, immediately snapping her mouth shut and staring wordlessly. She kept doing that - letting little admissions slip on accident. Why couldn't she keep her mouth shut lately?

"What do you mean?" Mr. Grubbs narrowed his eyes.

"Just... Everyone thinks I'm hiding something, but I'm not. I'm just lazy like you said." Jillian insisted.

Mr. Grubbs exhaled tiredly. "Go get dressed so you're not late to your next class too."

Jillian nodded and jogged toward the locker room. She looked down at her watch. The bell was going to ring in one minute. Then she'd have three more minutes to get to her next class. That meant she had four minutes to get dressed, pile up her books, and run to her class. That wasn't probably going to be long enough. Some teachers didn't get her into trouble if she was only one or two minutes late though. She could hope for that.

She jogged down the stairs, frowning when she saw most of the other girls were already dressed and crowding near the door that led up to the hallway. As soon as the bell rang, they'd all be leaving. Jillian wouldn't. She wasn't even close to ready to go.

With an exhale, Jillian made her way up to her locker and spun the dial to put in her combination. A lot of the girls kept their locks open during class so they would be able to get dressed faster afterward, but Jillian couldn't do that without running a very high risk of someone stealing her clothes or putting something nasty in her locker.

She opened the lock and swung the door open, taking off her gym shirt as the bell rang and all the other girls filed out.

"Fuck..." She groaned, throwing her gym shirt into the locker and pulling out her other shirt.

She winced as she felt hands on her shoulders, pulling her back away from her locker. She lost her grip on her shirt as she stumbled backward, feeling hands on her collar as she was shoved back against the other row of lockers.

Jillian breathed in a sharp breath as she realized all three of the mean girls were there. Bridgette was the one who had grabbed her and thrown her back. Alexa and Renee were behind her.

"You really fucked up this time." Bridgette growled. "I'm done giving you second chances and playing nice."

"When the fuck have you ever played nice?" Jillian hissed back as Bridgette pulled her away from the locker just to slam her back into it.

"I've held back in every interaction we've had, Sweetie. You're gonna find out what I can do when I'm really mad." Bridgette smiled in a way that looked really mean and threatening as she pulled Jillian back away from the lockers and threw her to the floor.

Jillian inhaled a sharp breath as she quickly pulled herself to her feet, but Alexa was on her already, shoving her harshly toward Bridgette, who shoved her right back even harder.

"If you like flirting with boys so much, we'll just text Michael and tell him to come do whatever he wants." Alexa threatened. "There's no second hour P.E. class, so he'll have a long time to show you all sorts of sex things you can try on your new boyfriend."

"Get off of me!" Jillian growled as she thrashed under Alexa's hands.

She looked around the other girls at Renee, who was grabbing all of her clothes out of her locker. "I hope you don't mind toilet water, bitch." Renee laughed as she walked out of sight toward the bathroom stalls.

Jillian heard the sound of the toilet flushing and then Renee came back.

"Guess you're stuck wearing your little gay bra and gym shorts for the rest of the day." Alexa laughed.

"Why don't you wear a real bra, Dyke?" Bridgette laughed as she shoved Jillian back against the lockers and grabbed at her bra strap.

"She doesn't have any tits, Bridge." Alexa laughed, grabbing at Jillian's arm and holding her down as Bridgette pulled her arm back as though preparing to punch her.

Jillian closed her eyes and shrunk down, feeling Renee grabbing her other arm before Bridgette's fist connected with her ribs. She choked out a pained breath as she doubled over as much as she could. "Stop..." She winced.

"Why would I?" Bridgette growled, grabbing a fist of her hair and pulling her head back.

"Are you really a lesbian?" Alexa asked. "Can you tell that kind of thing already when you're like eight years old?"

"I'm not eight, you fucking idiot." Jillian growled. For some reason it was a common trend among her bullies to pretend they didn't know she was thirteen - to pretend they thought she was significantly younger than anyone would possibly ever guess that she was.

"But you're a lesbian though." Alexa smirked. "I can't imagine how you'd know that since you haven't hit puberty yet... You seem like you are, but you sure are hung up on Kevin. Why can't you just let Bridgette have him? If you're into girls, why are you fighting so hard for that guy? He's not even that good looking, and he's weirdly stupid."

Jillian pulled uselessly at her arm as she felt tears stinging her eyes. "Let go of me!" She screamed.

"I'll bet this is like her fucking fantasy." Bridgette noted. "Three girls all over her? Her shirt's off... For a dyke, this has got to be heaven. Is that why you keep fucking me over? Is that why you keep making me mad? So I'd do something like this? She wanted us to corner her down here... I just know it." Bridgette laughed, sliding Jillian's bra strap down her arm.

"Stop!" Jillian yelled, feeling panic welling up in her chest again. She didn't want Michael and Richard touching her, and she didn't want these girls doing it either - not even if their motive was slightly different. "Don't fucking touch me!" She screamed.

"What?" Bridgette laughed, grabbing the front of Jillian's bra in a fist. "I thought you liked girls grabbing your ghost tits."

She heard Alexa and Renee laughing as Bridgette pulled her bra roughly down, exposing one of her breasts.

"They're so tiny!" Alexa giggled. "It's practically like a little boy's chest!"

Jillian felt a growl in her throat as she yanked at both arms. "Kevin doesn't like you, Bridgette." She breathed. "I told him what you did and he said you're a bitch. I'm gonna tell him about this too, and he'll hate you even more. You're never gonna date him. I'll personally make sure of it!"

She saw anger flash through Bridgette's eyes as the other girls each gasped next to her. "Do you want me to tell Michael to actually rape you?" She growled. "I'll tell him, and I'm sure he'd be glad to do it. Why can't you just fucking stop? Just leave Kevin alone and stay away from him? Is it worth being raped for?"

Jillian's breaths increased as she tugged at her arms. "You already had him and Richard attack me. Why should I do anything for you?"

"Yeah, but they didn't rape you." Bridgette frowned, clearly not knowing for sure if they did. "They didn't, did they?"

"Get the fuck off of me!" Jillian screamed, thrashing around as much as she could.

"Oh my god... Did they?" Bridgette laughed with a small smirk.

She could feel Alexa's and Renee's grips loosen slightly on her arms.

Jillian scowled back at Bridgette, but forced herself to hold still for the moment. Maybe if she just let herself calm down, Alexa and Renee wouldn't grab her so hard. She could get herself out of this. She really wanted to punch Bridgette though. She wanted to say something really fucking mean and punch her.

Just seeing the older girl laughing and smirking at the thought of her friends sexually assaulting her made Jillian completely pissed. She couldn't believe a fellow girl could be so heartless and cruel. How could Bridgette think that was funny? She wasn't sure if these two senior boys raped Jillian or not... and she thought it was funny.

"I thought you liked Michael." Jillian noted. "And you like Kevin... They're both really, really interested in me..." She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe that's why you're always so defensive."

Bridgette's smirk dissolved as her minions were seemingly shocked into silence. Their grips on Jillian's arms weren't tight though. She was really going to get to hit Bridgette if she wanted to. The older girl was standing close enough. Jillian would be able to get her hand free pretty easy right now if she tried.

"Kevin probably feels sorry for you because you're such a fucking loser." Bridgette accused. "He's being nice to you for his Chemistry grade, and maybe because he thinks you'll be easy. You know that, right? It's a common thing among older boys - to find freshman girls who aren't completely repulsive - they don't have to be hot, or even pretty... Just not fat or totally fucking disgusting. Just insecure, loser freshman girls who they know will have sex with them just because they feel so relieved to finally get male attention for once."

"I don't have sex with everyone who talks to me, Bridgette. That must just be a thing in your social circle." Jillian shrugged.

Bridgette rolled her eyes. "You don't have sex because no one's ever wanted to with you. Now you're in high school and older boys can see your potential - not that you're hot or anything - just that you're a naive virgin. Half of them would fuck anything that moves. If Kevin's interested in you, that's the only reason - because he sees you're a loser with no friends and he knows winning you over is as easy as not shoving you down the stairs like everybody else does. And of course, Michael wants to fuck you because he thinks it's funny. Anyone wanting to fuck me wants to because I'm hot. They wanna fuck you because you're a joke." Bridgette growled.

"Kevin doesn't want to fuck you." Jillian shrugged. "You're hot enough for Michael I guess. Not so much for Kevin."

Bridgette paused for a few long seconds, staring with her mouth hanging open. She was clearly unsure what to say, but quickly regained her bearings. "You little bitch... I'll fucking kill you." Bridgette growled, pulling her fist up and scowling.

Jillian gritted her teeth and bent her fingers just like Patty told her to. Renee and Alexa had mostly let go of her. Her arm was practically free. With her heart pounding in her chest, Jillian yanked her arm out of Renee's grip and thrust her hand palm-up right at Bridgette's nose, as hard as she could. She felt a sort of crack as her hand smacked up against the older girl's face.

Bridgette immediately abandoned her thought of punching Jillian, bringing her hands up to her nose instead. "Ow!" She cried. Blood dripped down between her fingers as Renee let go of Jillian and rushed to Bridgette's aide. "You broke my nose! I think you broke it!" She sobbed.

"Good." Jillian growled, immediately fixing her bra with her free hand. She felt Alexa grab her other arm tighter. She turned toward the other girl and glared. "Let go of me." She demanded. "Now."

"I'm definitely texting Michael now. You'll deserve whatever he does to you. I almost felt bad before. I didn't feel right letting him basically rape you, but you deserve it. I'm texting him right now." Alexa's voice shook slightly as she felt around in her pants pocket for her phone.

"Go ahead and text him. I'll break his fucking nose too." Jillian hissed, shoving her hands against Alexa's shoulder and storming out of the locker room.

xxxxxx


	15. Can We Leave?

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Chapter 15: Can We Leave?  
Thursday: Second Hour, Not English

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The second bell was ringing by the time Jillian made it up the locker room stairs. She was already late to her next class... and she wasn't wearing a shirt. She felt a similar panic to what she felt when Michael and Richard had assaulted her, only slightly different. This one included a sort of rush. She was out of breath, excited, panicked, all at once. She didn't know where to go or what to do next.

She wasn't about to go back down to the locker room and try to find a spare P.E. shirt, and she certainly wasn't going to retrieve her clothes from the toilet. She couldn't go to the office. They had extra clothes for kids who came to school with beer logos on their shirts, but she couldn't go claim one - they'd ask her what happened and make everything worse...

So she did the only thing she could think of. She rushed toward her own locker. Maybe she had a jacket or sweatshirt in there. She didn't think she did... but she wasn't totally sure and could think of literally nothing else to do.

She felt light-headed as she ran down the hall. She could have sworn she heard someone call her name, but her brain felt like it was in a cloud high above the earth - or maybe under water far below the earth. Either way, she didn't feel very grounded at the moment.

She ran faster as her head spun. She was beginning to feel that coldness in her chest again and the corners of her vision seemed cloudy. Just like before when Michael and Richard attacked her. What if she passed out in the middle of the hallway? In just her gym shorts and bra?

With a panicked whimper, Jillian ran up to her locker and began spinning the lock. What was her combination? She couldn't remember. Her fingers felt like they were half-frozen. She could barely even grip the dial even if she did know what number to put in. She couldn't think, could barely function. Her breaths were so quick she felt like she was breathing too much now. Was that possible? To breathe too much? She couldn't get herself to slow down.

She could almost swear she heard someone saying her name again as she squeezed the combination dial between her fingers, fumbling with it, but not knowing when to stop and turn it the other direction. What was the first number? Why couldn't she remember?

She choked out a sob as she leaned her forehead against the cold metal of the locker and wrapped her arms around herself. Any minute now someone was going to walk down the hall and see her there - crying against her locker without a shirt on. It would either mean she was going to have to answer to what happened, or more people were going to laugh at her.

"Jillian!" The voice from before sounded louder now, though still muffled. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" She screamed, pulling her arm away and spinning around. "Don't fucking touch me-" She cut herself off when she saw who was behind her. "Erin?" She breathed, immediately feeling bad for screaming and swearing when she saw the older girl staring wide-eyed at her, with her hand drawn back.

"Are you okay?" Erin breathed, shrugging out of her cardigan and wrapping it around Jillian's shoulders.

Jillian breathed out but couldn't find the proper words. She could feel herself shaking as Erin pulled her sweater tighter around Jillian's arms.

"What happened?" Erin was still staring at her in shock.

Jillian shook her head. Her mouth hung slightly open as she felt tears springing to her eyes.

"Jillian, what happened?" Erin's tone was so serious.

"Can we leave?" Jillian whimpered. "Can we go out to your car and leave?"

Erin stared at her with wide eyes, but nodded. "Yeah." She whispered.

Jillian breathed in a shaking breath as tears spilled down her cheeks. She didn't know what to do or say. She couldn't believe she'd hit Bridgette that hard. She felt like she had accomplished something big, but she also felt scared that there might be retaliation from here. Alexa said she was going to text Michael and let him take it from there. She knew Michael wasn't scared to do terrible things to her. What if he really did? She could hit him back too, but he was so big... He'd probably have Richard or Bryan with him. Boys didn't back off after being hit as easily as girls did.

"Alright... Come on..." Erin wrapped her arm around Jillian's shoulders and led her down the hall and out into the parking lot.

Jillian kept her head down as they walked. She couldn't have said where the car was even parked or even be sure they got into the right one. She just let Erin lead the way. The older girl opened the passenger door and nudged Jillian toward it, placing her hand gently on the younger girl's shoulder for a moment before closing the door and running around to the other side.

"Where do you want to go?" Erin asked as she reached over and buckled Jillian's seat belt before sitting back down and buckling her own.

"I don't know..." Jillian breathed. She just didn't want to be at the school.

"Okay... We'll just drive." Erin suggested.

Jillian focused on leveling out her breathing as she stared out the windshield. Erin wasn't pressing her for information anymore. She appreciated that. It kind of made her want to tell Erin the truth. But then, that opened up entirely new possibilities of complicating everything. When only Jillian knew about all this and also cared that it was happening, she was solely responsible for how to act on it. If Erin knew too - she'd care too... and maybe she'd want to tell a teacher or go to the police or confront Jillian's bullies. Those options weren't going to work.

"Do you like cemeteries?" Erin asked.

Jillian glanced over at her. She did like cemeteries. She didn't think Erin seemed like the sort who would considering her obvious fear of ghosts.

"We can go park at the cemetery... Just hang out until... Well, until whatever we do next." Erin suggested.

Jillian nodded. "Okay." She breathed.

"Alright." Erin forced a smile. "I was taking something to the office for my study hall teacher." She went on. "Maybe she won't notice I never came back." She laughed. "It's a big class and she just sits up there reading the whole time. She really might not notice."

They both remained quiet for several minutes until they reached the gate of the cemetery. Jillian stared at the passing tomb stones as Erin drove slowly through.

"I've been to this one." Jillian noted in a small voice. "I tested my ghost detector out here before it worked very well."

"Really? So did Abby." Erin laughed. "I'm surprised you guys didn't run into each other before now considering you were working on the same project and seem to think alike when it comes to anything ghost-related."

Jillian smiled. It was strange that she and Abby had basically designed the same machine at the same time. They even had the same idea of how to test it. "Mine always went crazy in that back corner where that lady who died in the car crash is buried."

"I think Abby's registered there too." Erin noted.

"I have a theory that she wasn't dead when they buried her." Jillian said with a small shrug.

"Yikes..." Erin grimaced. "Really? That's grim."

"Don't ghosts normally haunt wherever they died? She's haunting her own grave. She must have died there." Jillian guessed.

"I don't know." Erin disagreed. "That old lady didn't die at the foot of my bed."

Jillian narrowed her eyes and nodded. "I guess that's true. You're right." She looked back out the window and Erin pulled up next to a seemingly random grave and parked the car.

"So..." Erin started with a shrug.

Jillian looked across the seat at her. Erin seemed really kind from what she knew of her - and very sympathetic. She'd been bullied too. She would probably understand pretty well how Jillian felt. Jillian hoped the kids who made fun of Erin's ghost story didn't ever actually attack her though. She didn't want for Erin to have to had suffered through the same things Jillian had.

"What's the meanest thing someone ever did to you?" Jillian asked.

"Oh..." Erin blinked, clearly not expecting that question. "Um... I don't know... In fifth grade some kids invited me to a Halloween party and we were sneaking around the cemetery. They locked me in a mausoleum." She laughed nervously. "I thought they were trying to be my friends and including me... The whole thing was a setup. They left me there for hours, and they knew I was scared. They had barely managed to convince me to go to the cemetery at night in the first place. I just wanted to do what they were doing, because they acted like they wanted to be friends. I wanted them to like me. I should have known better. Abby told me they were the same ones who made fun of me behind my back all the time and that I shouldn't go to their party. I thought she was just jealous that she wasn't invited too."

Jillian nodded as she listened to Erin's story. That was always a risk when making new friends - they might just be trying to trap you. It had happened to Jillian so many times that she was hesitant to trust anyone these days.

"So I went to the party, and we were all ten and eleven year old girls - truth or dare, a plastic Ouija board and all that nonsense..." Erin shook her head with a frown as she went on. "They wanted to go sneak around the cemetery and play hide and seek. I didn't want to be the one that was too scared, so I went... One of the girls suggested that I hide in this mausoleum that got left unlocked sometimes. She said it would be the best hiding place and the other girls would think it was awesome if I hid in there long enough for everyone to give up and then jump out and scare everybody... So I hid inside, and they locked me in. At first some of them stuck around nearby making noises - pretending to be ghosts... Then they left, and I really did hear noises. Maybe it was them too... I never knew for sure. They said it wasn't and made fun of me even more when I asked. They used it as more fodder for the 'Ghost Girl' thing. That was the final straw. I never told anyone about it again - well, until you."

"That is pretty mean." Jillian whispered as she stared out the window, noticing some mausoleums in the distance. That had to have been really scary for Erin. Fifth grade - already scared about ghosts... just trying to fit in. To Jillian, the only thing more cruel than relentlessly bullying, harassing, and hurting someone, was pretending to be their friend first. At least with people like Michael, Richard, and Bridgette, Jillian expected them to be cruel. To be hurt by someone who told you they were your friend was simply devastating.

"Yeah. But I'm okay now." Erin assured her, laughing softly. "People have kind of forgotten about all the ghost stuff over time. I just had to stop trying to get anyone to believe me and kinda... hide. No one notices me these days."

Jillian glanced over at her again. She did seem pretty quiet. She had a quality Jillian didn't have - the ability to lay low and not stand out. Jillian always seemed to stand out. She was told she dressed weird, had weird hair. Of course, she was younger than everyone else. She was really into science and math and people thought it was weird and annoying. People just didn't respond well to who she was as a person.

"You're the second person ever to actually believe my ghost story." Erin went on with a nervous laugh. "I was ready to kill Abby for bringing it up when we stopped to offer you a ride... I guess she knew you wouldn't laugh at me."

Jillian stared back into Erin's eyes. She could see this girl was damaged in many of the same ways Jillian was. People had been cruel to her for no real reason. Erin didn't seem like the aggressive type. She wouldn't have ever hurt anyone or made anyone feel bad. She was a good person. And people were mean to her in response.

"Erin..." Jillian finally exhaled, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "I've had a really bad day."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Erin asked. She sounded kind of nervous.

"Sorta." Jillian answered. Erin seemed nice and trustworthy, and Jillian did want to get it out of her head.

"Well... You can if you want." Erin reminded her, reaching across the seat and grabbing Jillian's hand carefully in her own. She squeezed it lightly.

Jillian blinked her eyes open and looked down at Erin's hand on top of her own. She felt a small smile tugging at her lips. She felt miserable about everything that had happened today, but Erin's presence, her gentle, comforting hand really did a lot to make her feel better. On Monday morning, she was completely alone in this world. Now here she was on Thursday, in another girl's car, with that girl's hand on hers, being comforting, being her friend. Erin saw that Jillian was upset, and it made Erin upset. She wanted to help.

"Okay." Jillian breathed, squeezing Erin's hand back. "These senior boys, Michael and Richard-" She started, pausing when tears choked her up. She looked down at her lap. Maybe she wasn't ready to talk about all of it. She'd had such a fucking terrible morning.

"What did they do, Jillian?" Erin frowned, squeezing her hand carefully.

Jillian shook her head. "They made me late to first hour." She breathed, unsure how much detail she wanted to go into. A moment ago, she thought she was ready to tell Erin everything. But now she wasn't sure she could get it out without dissolving into sobs.

"It's second hour now." Erin reminded her.

"Yeah... There's two different things that happened." Jillian forced a nervous laugh, choosing to move on and speak about the most recent one first. That was the one she'd just come from - the reason Erin found her without her shirt in the hallway. It was really the only part of this that was relevant to Erin - the only thing Jillian needed to explain. Erin didn't really need to know about the other thing. "I think I dealt with the second one okay." Jillian went on.

"You've gotta tell me what you're talking about." Erin insisted. "You're scaring me... What did they do? Do we need to go to the police?"

Jillian quickly shook her head. "No. We're not going to the police. You have to promise not to try to tell any teachers or anything, or I won't tell you." She breathed, her eyes wide and her heart pounding.

Erin exhaled and her shoulders slumped. "It sounds serious though."

"If you can't promise not to tell anyone, I'm just not gonna say anything else about it." Jillian let go of Erin's hand, crossed her arms over her chest, and looked out the window.

There was a silence between them for a few seconds, before Erin finally gave in. "Fine." She agreed. She didn't sound happy about it though.

Jillian looked across the car at her. "Promise?"

Erin nodded. "I guess."

Jillian nodded and stared back out the windshield. "Well, the second thing was Bridgette, Alexa, and Renee down in the locker room. They threw my clothes in the toilet and held me down and hit me. They said they were going to text Michael and have him-" She paused, embarrassed to say the rest.

"Have him do what?" Erin frowned.

Jillian shrugged. "Sex stuff." Mumbled quietly, avoiding eye contact with Erin as she looked down at the girl's light blue shirt. It had little purple flowers printed on it.

She could see Erin's shoulders slump and her mouth drop open. "Michael's nineteen years old. He failed a grade. He's like 100% an adult. You should go to the police if you think he'd really do that. If you feel like he really might-"

"Well, he kinda did already." Jillian frowned as she let out a small breath. She swallowed and stared down at the gear shift between the seats. Why had she just said that? She had already made up her mind not to tell Erin that part. Why was her mouth moving faster than her brain. She felt her eyes widen as she continued staring at the gear shift. She had to shut up...

"What?" Erin sounded like she was ready to cry.

"Nothing." Jillian shook her head and forced a laugh. "They didn't. Bridgette and her friends threw my clothes away though, so that's why I didn't have a shirt-"

"Jillian!" Erin interrupted, putting her hand on the younger girl's shoulder and staring intently. "What did Michael and Richard do?"

Jillian shook her head, but felt tears collecting in her eyes as she refused to meet Erin's gaze. She didn't want to talk about what they had done. It was embarrassing. She had been so scared, and still felt dirty. She felt like she screwed up, like she should have fought back harder or screamed louder. She was in a school - not in the middle of the woods. Someone would have heard if she had screamed. Teachers would have had to at least look into it. Michael and Richard would have probably gotten scared and left if she screamed loud. They wouldn't have wanted to get in trouble. But she hadn't screamed. She barely fought back. She just stood there, terrified, weak... She let them grab her and kiss her and stay gross, terrible things to her.

But of course she knew they would have been really mad if she screamed. They would have done worse things later to make up for it... But they were probably going to anyway after they heard about what she did to Bridgette.

"What did they do?" Erin whispered.

"I don't wanna say..." Jillian shrunk down and sniffed back tears. "It wasn't the worst thing they could have done..." She shrugged. It was true that they could have done worse, but she really only said that part for Erin's benefit, to make her less worried. Jillian had a very real fear that she hadn't seen the last of the senior boys - that they would do worse later.

Erin bent down so she could see Jillian's face. "You have to tell me." She insisted. "Just take a breath and tell me. Please?"

Jillian swallowed as she finally stared back into Erin's wide eyes. The older girl looked scared. Jillian wondered if she looked scared too. It occurred to her that she didn't really ever see her own face when she was scared. She wondered what it looked like. Probably pretty funny. That would explain why all the other kids thought it was hilarious to do terrible things to her - to see her stupid, scared expression.

"Please?" Erin said again.

Jillian licked her lips and let out a long breath. She closed her eyes for a moment and then nodded. Erin was probably imagining things even worse than reality. Maybe she'd be relieved by the truth - that Michael and Richard hadn't really done anything that bad. They didn't hurt her. They just scared the hell out of her and embarrassed her. Made her feel weak and dirty. But they didn't do any serious physical damage. She wasn't bleeding. She had no broken bones.

"It wasn't really that bad." Jillian started, ready to blurt out the whole thing in one breath to just get it over with. "I think I was more scared than anything. I was really panicked and I think I almost passed out." She forced a breathless laugh. "They cornered me in the boy's bathroom before P.E. They made me late. They threatened to hurt me if I didn't kiss Michael and let Richard pull my bra up and touch me..." She felt her lip trembling as she sniffed back tears and avoided eye contact with Erin. She wasn't ready to relive this memory, but it was all out now. She'd said it. The whole thing... Erin knew now.

"Oh my god... We should go to the police. I can go with you." Erin suggested.

Jillian shook her head. "I can't." She whispered.

"Why? I'll go with you. I'll back you up." Erin promised.

"No, Erin. It's their word against mine. You weren't even there." Jillian frowned.

"It could at least scare them off from doing anything like that again." Erin guessed.

"Or make them mad enough to definitely do worse next time." She countered. "But maybe they'll leave me alone anyway. I hit Bridgette really hard. I might have broken her nose. Maybe they'll know not to mess with me now."

Erin frowned. "Maybe... You know this is really serious though, right? If Michael and Richard are making you do things you don't want to do - especially with them being seniors and you being a freshman... They could get in real trouble. I think Richard is 18, so he's an adult too."

Jillian exhaled. She really didn't know what she should do about all of it. "Rex came back too - in the bathroom after the boys left."

"You mean after the men left. They're grown men." Erin sounded mad all of a sudden. "They're adults. They shouldn't ever touch you. Ever. They have no right. This is such bullshit."

Jillian stared over at her with wide eyes. She didn't know Erin would take this so personally. She barely even knew the girl.

Erin looked back at her for a moment before staring back out the window with a scowl. "He actually made you kiss him?" She frowned as she glanced back.

Jillian nodded. She was starting to regret telling Erin about this.

"And the other one lifted your shirt and your bra and touched you?" Erin asked.

"Yeah." Jillian shrunk down. Just when she was starting to convince herself that what they had done wasn't that bad, Erin was making a big deal of it again, turning everything back around, making her feel scared and upset about it all over again. "Not for very long... and they didn't hurt me."

"Yes they did, Jillian." Erin stared. "You didn't consent to that. You didn't want them to touch you and they did. They're adults. They took advantage of the fact that you're young and small and scared of them. What they did is sexual assault, and it did hurt you. Maybe not physically..."

Jillian frowned and looked down. She knew what they did was wrong... But she didn't want to make a big deal out of it and end up making everything worse. What they did to her was terrifying, humiliating, and just awful... but she knew they could do worse, and didn't want to give them any motivation to do so. She just wanted to forget it completely, maybe drop out of school or just run away forever and never look back.

"We should tell someone." Erin shook her head.

"Erin, please don't." Jillian frowned, feeling tears in her eyes again. "You promised!"

"So what are you going to do if they attack you again?" Erin wondered.

Jillian shrugged. "Hit them like I hit Bridgette. It made her stop."

Erin shook her head. "I just really don't want to wait for them to do something worse, Jillian. I'm sure you wanted to leave when they kissed you and touched you... But you couldn't. What if next time they rape you or seriously hurt you? You're gonna want to leave, just like last time... but you won't be able to."

Jillian swallowed. She didn't like how blunt Erin was being. She didn't want to think about the possibility of Michael and Richard doing worse things to her. "I shouldn't have told you." She looked down at her gym shoes and finally shrugged her arms into the sleeves of the sweater Erin had wrapped around her earlier.

"No. You can tell me... I won't go to the police if you don't want me to. You have the final say on that... I just wish you wanted to tell, because I think you should." Erin frowned. "What they did was really, really wrong. They shouldn't get away with it. You shouldn't have to be afraid of them doing that - or something worse - again."

"No." Jillian shook her head. If she told, she'd be even more scared. She had no actual evidence that they'd done anything. They'd deny it, not get in trouble, and definitely hurt her for it. "Can we just leave it? I don't want to talk about it anymore." Jillian whimpered.

Erin exhaled. "Fine." She agreed. "I'm really sorry they hurt you. I know you feel like telling me only complicated everything, and I'm sorry for that too... But I'm glad you told me at least. You can tell me stuff like this... Just remember there's good and bad times to stay quiet, and if they keep this up, you might need to tell an adult, whether it's scary or not. I won't make you..."

Jillian nodded. "Maybe if they do it again." She breathed.

"Honey, I really hope they don't." Erin frowned.

Jillian forced a smile and looked across at the older girl. "I hope they don't either." She agreed.

xxxxxx


	16. Older Now

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Chapter 16: Older Now  
Thursday: After School

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Erin and Jillian took most of the rest of the day off, but returned in time for last hour. Something inside her really made Jillian want to spend more time with Kevin now - just out of spite.

Bridgette wasn't there in Chemistry class. Maybe she was too embarrassed to show up with a giant bruise in the middle of her face. Jillian figured the older girl wouldn't tell the truth about how her nose got broken... because then she knew the truth about what she and her friends had done would come out. Jillian still had bruises too. Patty had found her after Bridgette punched her, and had seen Bridgette shove Jillian into her locker yesterday, so she had a witness to back her up.

During Chemistry, Jillian had told Kevin that he should come meet Erin after school. During their very long lunch, Erin and Jillian had texted Abby and decided to stay late to look for Rex tonight. Jillian had her spirit detector in her locker, not that she guessed she'd need it... Of course, Rex might be reluctant to show himself just because he was mad at Jillian for bringing friends with her.

Erin and Abby agreed to meet Jillian and Kevin at Jillian's locker after last hour. That's where she and Kevin were going now.

"You're going to like Erin. She's really nice." Jillian spoke as they made their way down the hall.

"That's good. I like nice people." Kevin smiled down at her.

Jillian nodded. "So do I, Kevin." She agreed with a smile.

Jillian could tell Erin was nervous as she and Kevin approached. Abby looked amused.

"This is Kevin." Jillian gestured toward him. "And this is Erin. And Abby." She gestured toward each of them.

"Hi." Erin waved awkwardly.

"Nice to meet you, Kevin." Abby smiled at him.

"Likewise." Kevin smiled his usual charming grin.

"So... Abby and I are gonna go do something real quick. We'll be back in a bit." Jillian said next, grabbing Abby's arm and pulling her away. Erin looked scared for a moment, but Jillian smiled at her and nodded. "Kevin wants to be an actor or a model." She told Erin. "Maybe you can talk about that."

"Oh." Erin laughed nervously, looking down and tucking some hair behind her ear. "You'd be really good at that."

"You think?" Kevin smiled. "I actually have a meeting with an agent later this month, and I've had professional photos taken. I can show you. I've got copies on my phone."

Erin nodded. "I'd really like that." She breathed.

Jillian looked toward Abby with raised eyebrows and a small grin.

Abby shook her head and held back a laugh as she let Jillian pull her away from the awkward pair.

"Where are we going?" Abby wondered.

"I want you to meet Patty. I'm gonna ask her to stay late with us tonight to try to find Rex. She was there last time. She saw the green glow too. He even knocked her back, so she's got the next most experience with him after me... I mean, if that ghost was Rex. He says it wasn't." Jillian told her.

"You talked to Rex again?" Abby frowned. "When?"

"Um..." Jillian hesitated. She'd only told Erin about her nightmarish morning. She really didn't want to go into detail about it with Abby. Especially after how strongly Abby had reacted when she confronted Michael and Bryan before. If she knew Michael and Richard had groped her and forced her to kiss them, she'd be pissed.

"Well?" Abby frowned.

"Just... Earlier today. He said it wasn't him." Jillian shrugged.

"What else did he say?" Abby asked.

"Well... He's still jealous that I have friends." Jillian laughed. "He said you're all using me."

"That's bullshit. You know that, right?" Abby frowned.

"Yeah." Jillian nodded. "I know. You were nice before you ever knew about the ghost stuff. You'd have been my friend even if I didn't have anything to give back. Patty has been too. And Kevin and Erin. I don't really have that much to offer, and all four of you have been nice to me. Nicer than anyone else on the planet ever has been."

They reached the library and Jillian opened the door, gesturing for Abby to go in first. "So Patty works here before and after school every day. There's not much to do after school, but she's kinda got to stay anyway. Maybe we can all hang out until her stuff is done, then go walk around and look for Rex." She suggested.

Abby nodded as they made their way up to the front desk.

"Hey, Holtzy." Patty smiled at her. "Having a better day today?"

Jillian couldn't help but to laugh. She was having an okay time right now, but the day had started off really fucking terrible. She shook her head and ignored the question. "I want you to meet my friend, Abby." She said. "This is Patty." She nodded toward the taller girl.

"Hi." Patty smiled and offered a slight wave. "You were in my Art class last year."

"Yeah. and P.E. the year before." Abby reminded her.

"Right." Patty nodded. "And you're friends with that girl everyone made fun of about some ghost she said she saw... Maybe she's not as crazy as everyone said."

Abby frowned. "Yeah. She's not crazy."

"Sorry... I didn't mean to imply..." Patty grimaced and raised her hands in defense. "I mean, I have to admit - I only heard very second-hand about her ghost claims, but I did think she was kinda nuts... Not anything personal... Just because I didn't believe in ghosts, really. I thought Holtzy here was nuts too though, and I got proven wrong."

"I understand. It's hard to believe in ghosts when you haven't ever seen one." Abby shrugged. "But we all agree now. Experience is the great equalizer." She laughed.

"Yeah." Patty agreed. "Sucks that everyone made fun of her for that when she was totally telling the truth."

"Yeah, it does." Abby forced a laugh. "Maybe don't bring it up though - the rest of the school still doesn't believe in ghosts. People are finally leaving her alone about it."

"I won't say anything." Patty promised. "I never joined in on that bandwagon in the first place. I always thought everyone relentlessly making fun of her for it was mean... I didn't believe in ghosts myself, but I believed she did, and thought it was cruel for people to tease her about something she was so sure of... Even if I did think she might be a little crazy."

Abby nodded and let out a soft laugh. "Well, you believe in ghosts now though, right?"

Patty closed her eyes, smiled, and shook her head softly. "Guess I have to now."

"Speaking of which, we're gonna go ghost-hunting tonight and wondered if you wanted to come." Jillian offered.

Patty's smile fell. "Oh... I don't know..."

"Please?" Jillian pouted and clasped her hands together. "You were there last time. Rex is really jealous of you."

"That's not gonna convince me, Holtzy. Telling me the ghost hates me? What the hell would I want to mess with that for?" Patty frowned.

"Last time he got jealous of you all he did was throw me around. He barely touched you." Jillian reminded her.

"That doesn't make it any better." Patty furrowed her brow.

"We'll all be there together." Abby stepped in. "Four of us. Five if Kevin wants to come. Safety in numbers."

"How are we gonna fight a ghost off if it tries to kill us." Patty crossed her arms over her chest.

Jillian shrugged. "Maybe researching more could answer that question. We can't do anything, or learn more about him if we don't confront him."

"We're gonna get footage of it this time so we'll have something to look back on to learn how exactly to approach it. And if we get it mad enough, it might leave an ectoplasm sample behind. We can use that to study it further." Abby explained.

"And I may be able to engineer my spirit detector into a sort of ghost-zapper if I strengthen the magnet and and include a vacuum function. Or I could do like a vaporizer - like a really strong dehumidifying agent. I can use the ectoplasm to test any prototypes I come up with. If I can detect a ghost, surely I can figure out how to trap it or vaporize it." Jillian explained.

"What?" Patty frowned. "Trap it where? I don't know what the hell you guys are talking about."

"All you have to do is be there. We want it to be mad, and if it's jealous of Holtzy's friends, you being there might help... Erin's gonna ask Kevin to come too - if she remembers. I think she might have gotten totally absorbed in his modeling photos. She might forget." Abby laughed.

Patty exhaled and shook her head. "I guess... But if things get violent, we've gotta leave. I don't want any of us getting seriously hurt."

Jillian nodded, but was honestly feeling pretty fearless by this point. What could Rex or any other ghost possibly do that would be worse than what Michael and Richard had already done to her?

"Holtzy, if I go home and get my ghost detector before we look for Rex, could you look at it and give me notes? I can take Erin's car. I've got her spare key." Abby suggested. "I'll be back in like ten minutes..."

"Okay. I'll wait here with Patty. She's gotta work another hour anyway, so we've got time." Jillian agreed.

"Cool. Be right back." Abby smiled and rushed out of the library.

"She's got a ghost-detector too?" Patty frowned and raised her eyebrows.

Jillian shrugged. "Turns out I'm not the only lunatic at this school. She invented like basically the same thing I did. Isn't that cool?" Jillian smiled.

"I guess it kind of is. Wanna sit down?" Patty gestured toward one of the sofas near the vacant computers.

Jillian nodded and followed Patty over, sitting down next to her and leaning back tiredly. She had had a very stressful day and was understandably tired by this point.

"You alright?" Patty asked.

"Yeah. Just kinda tired. I've had a long day." Jillian told her.

"You're wearing your P.E. shorts." Patty noted, nodding down toward her legs.

"Oh." Jillian frowned, pulling the sweater Erin had given her further down to cover the shorts.

"It's alright." Patty laughed softly. "Wear whatever you want."

"Well, I didn't really want to." Jillian frowned. "Bridgette's friends threw my clothes in the toilet when I was in the middle of getting dressed after P.E. This is Erin's shirt. I was lucky she happened to be in the hallway when I ran to my locker without a shirt on. I was so fucking panicked." Jillian forced a small laugh.

"Aw." Patty frowned. "Well, that's bullshit. You can't keep letting them get away with this shit. That's the third time this week... I assume Bridgette or her friends are responsible for your bloody nose and split lip earlier... Baby, you gotta do something about them."

"Oh, I did." Jillian laughed nervously. "I punched Bridgette just like you said."

Patty gasped. "You did? Did it work?"

Jillian shrugged. "I guess. Her nose was bleeding and she was crying."

"Wow... Well, good job, Holtzy." Patty smiled. "Hopefully she'll leave you alone now."

"Yeah." Jillian forced a small smile. She wasn't sure if they would or not. She was kind of really anxious that Michael was gonna do something to her now... but she didn't want to tell Patty that. Patty just knew major details about the girl bullies, and she was already noticeably bothered by it. She'd probably refuse to keep quiet if she knew what the boys had done. Erin barely agreed not to go to the police, and Patty seemed more assertive and fearless than Erin.

"If she doesn't take a hint and stop bothering you, I can help you." Patty offered. "Like I said before, people don't really mess with me. If I'm there when those mean little bitches are fucking with you, I'll punch 'em myself. They won't bother you again."

Jillian laughed and leaned against Patty's side as the older girl wrapped her arm around her shoulders. She appreciated Patty's loyalty and support, but that kind of talk was exactly whey she couldn't tell the older girl about Michael and Richard. Patty would probably beat the shit out of them, go to jail... and just leave the two boys extra angry.

"I'm serious." Patty went on. "I'm not gonna let any little jerks pick on you just because they're jealous that you're a decent enough person for Kevin to want to talk to you. Maybe if they weren't self-absorbed bitches, Kevin would talk to them too. That's not your fault. If they fuck with you again, punch 'em harder, and tell me. I'll take care of it."

Jillian closed her eyes and laughed again. She wished Patty could be by her side at all times. She believed the older girl when Patty said she'd fight her battles for her, but she couldn't expect Patty to be there all the time. Bridgette and her friends were the least of Jillian's concerns now. Patty was probably right about the punch to Bridgette's nose being enough to scare them away. They probably wouldn't attack her again. The other girls didn't want giant purple bruises on their pretty faces too... But their male friends wouldn't be scared of that same threat. Michael, Richard, and Bryan were much bigger and stronger than the girls. The punch solution probably wouldn't even work with them...

Jillian blinked her eyes open and frowned when she felt Patty's fingers on her wrist. She looked up at Patty, who was staring down at her arm with a furrowed brow. Jillian swallowed as she realized why Patty was staring. Her arms had finger-shaped bruises up and down them. Some from the girls, some from Richard and Michael. Even Jillian couldn't tell which were which at this point.

Clearing her throat and forcing a smile, Jillian pulled the sweater's sleeves down past her hands and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Those from Bridgette?" Patty frowned.

"Probably..." Jillian shrugged. "I mean yeah." She swallowed and stared wide-eyed across the library at a shelf full of books. She sure sucked at keeping secrets these days. She kept answering before thinking. Of course, she didn't usually have to make an effort. Normally no one cared where the bruises on her arms came from so she didn't have to even try to make up lies or hide them.

"What do you mean, probably? Where else would they be from?" Patty asked.

"I don't know." Jillian whispered, trying to think of how to salvage this accidental almost-confession. She didn't want to tell anyone else about Richard and Michael hurting her earlier today. She regretted telling even Erin. She should have never said a thing to anyone. She just wanted to forget that ever happened, so she could kiss a pretty girl later and not think about the fact that she'd already had her first kiss from a terrible, forceful, violent man she wasn't attracted to. So when she finally had a girlfriend who she really cared about and wanted to share her body with, she could feel like she was showing her something no one else had seen or touched.

Jillian felt tears stinging her eyes as she continued staring across the room at the rows of books.

"Baby, what happened?" Patty frowned, hugging her tighter.

Jillian shook her head and settled on a half-truth. She'd tell Patty just more details about the girls. That had been her mistake with Erin - starting with the incident in the bathroom... She could have easily gotten away with just telling Erin about Bridgette and her friends. That alone was traumatic and explained everything. She should have kept the Michael and Richard incident to herself.

With an exhale, Jillian closed her eyes. "They're from Bridgette's friends." She answered. "They grabbed my arms and held me down when Bridgette cornered me in the locker room. I had already taken my shirt off and they were making fun of me. Bridgette pulled my bra down on one side and they laughed that my boobs aren't very big... It was really embarrassing."

Patty didn't say anything. Instead, she hugged Jillian tighter, resting her chin on top of the younger girl's hair.

"But I did punch Bridgette for it..." Jillian reminded her. "Don't tell anyone about any of this."

"I won't... But if they do something like that again, you've gotta tell someone. A teacher. A cop. Somebody... Because that's sexual assault. I don't care if they're fifteen or sixteen and they're girls... They can't do that to you." Patty sounded like she was sad.

Jillian frowned and snuggled closer against Patty. She knew the older girl was right. Bridgette, Alexa, and Renee had no right to grab her and touch her. They had just as little right as Richard and Michael. She didn't invite them to pull her bra down. It didn't matter that they were closer to her in age and that they were girls. It didn't matter that their motive was purely to make fun of her rather than to sexually assault her. At least they hadn't forced a kiss on her or groped her... But it still wasn't okay.

"Anyway..." Jillian forced a small laugh. "Abby and Erin are really into ghosts, so I think we might get somewhere tonight. They've gotta be the closest things to experts we're gonna find around here. They're good people to have in our corner."

"You're an expert too, Holtzy." Patty noted. "You're the one with the fancy ghost-detector. Abby said it herself that yours is better than hers."

"I guess. But Erin's got more ghost-experience. She had this old lady ghost haunt her for a year when she was eight." Jillian told Patty.

"Yeah. That's why people called her Ghost Girl. That was really true then, you think?" Patty wondered.

"I guess so, because ghosts are definitely real." Jillian answered. "I mean, I wasn't there... and I don't know her that well, but I doubt she's lying. She seemed kinda hurt by it. I don't think she would have persisted with the story if it weren't true. She got teased for it for years."

"Yeah." Patty nodded. "I remember. It was pretty sad. I felt bad for her. We went to the same elementary school and I heard kids making fun of her all the time. I didn't know what to think. Like, obviously they shouldn't have made fun of her and teased her about it, but I did think she might be nuts. I don't make fun of people even when they're nuts, but I didn't believe her either. Now I feel kinda bad."

"You didn't make fun of her though. That's what matters." Jillian yawned. "She probably appreciates that you did that much. Shit, when someone knocks my books out of my hands, sometimes just somebody nearby not laughing their ass off is enough to give me a little hope in humanity."

"God, Holtzy." Patty frowned. "Nobody should laugh. Anyone who sees that should help you pick 'em up."

Jillian shrugged. She was getting really tired.

"I probably should have told people not to make fun of Erin." Patty went on. "The people who stand by silently are just as bad as the bullies, really. They're enablers."

Jillian snuggled closer to her new friend. Maybe Patty should have spoken up for Erin, but if Erin was eight when this started, Patty would have only been nine or ten. It's hard to know what to do when you're nine or ten. That's why Jillian didn't really start hating the kids who bullied her until more recently. Little kids did what they were taught. Older kids should know better.

They were all older now.

xxxxxx


	17. Ghost Detectors and Ghost Detecting

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Chapter 17: Ghost Detectors and Ghost Detecting  
Thursday: Further After School

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"Wake up, Holtzy." Patty whispered as she shook her hand lightly on Jillian's shoulder.

Jillian blinked her eyes and exhaled tiredly. "Sorry. I guess I was tired." She yawned as she pulled herself up off of Patty's thigh, which she had apparently been using as a pillow. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About an hour. The girls are ready to go look for that ghost if you still want to." Patty shrugged. "I guess Erin forgot to ask Kevin. Abby said she was really obviously nervous. I don't know if she even remembered you guys were doing the ghost stuff tonight. I think she's in love."

"Oh. That's okay. He's kinda..." Jillian trailed off.

Patty laughed. "Yeah, I've seen him around. He thinks all the lockers have the same combination. He was so perplexed the other day when he asked this guy in study hall if he could store something in his locker and the guy gave him his combination. He seriously thought they were all the same."

"That sounds like something he'd think. So you met Erin?" Jillian noted.

"Yeah. She and Abby are both juniors and we've been in the same school forever, so I'd met them both before - just never really talked to them much." Patty told her.

"Oh. That makes sense. It seems like everyone around here already knows each other, but I don't know anyone." Jillian shrugged.

"You will. Freshman never know anyone." Patty told her, offering her hand to help Jillian stand. "So I guess we should go get that ghost detector and find this guy. What's the plan? Just provoke him and take a picture?"

"I think Erin's gonna try to get a video, but pictures are good too. If you want to use your phone, and Abby can use hers too. We can get as much footage as we can and then use it to understand this whole thing better." Jillian explained.

"Right." Patty seemed hesitant.

"I probably don't even need the detector." Jillian noted as they made their way toward her locker. "Where are Abby and Erin?" She frowned.

"I think they were gonna meet us at your locker. Erin had to pee and was scared to go alone." Patty laughed.

"Oh." Jillian laughed too. "There they are." She nodded toward the end of the hall where her locker was.

"We forgot which one was yours." Abby yelled out.

"One seventy five." Jillian yelled back.

Abby nodded and turned down the hall, followed by the rest of them.

Jillian reached her locker and put in her combination, opening the door, reaching up to the shelf on top, and grabbing her ghost-detector.

"Can I see it?" Abby asked.

"Sure." Jillian handed it over.

"It's kind of the same idea of what I made." Abby noted as she turned it over in her hands. She handed it back to Jillian long enough to take her own detector out of a back pack she had been carrying. "See?"

Jillian took Abby's detector and handed hers back to Abby. Abby's really was very similar to hers. It looked kind of like a police radar gun. There was an on/off switch and two tiny light bulbs. Jillian switched it on and pointed it down the hallway. She pressed a button that was sort of like a trigger, and the tiny red light blinked. She pointed it down the other hallway and pulled the trigger again. The red light flashed again, but so did the green one for about half a second.

"Ooooh..." Jillian smiled, pulling the trigger again. "I think he's that way."

"Yeah, but you can't really tell, because mine doesn't work right." Abby laughed, holding Jillian's meter up and pressing the equivalent switch. Jillian's meter flashed green. "See? Yours works."

"Yours does too." Jillian frowned. "You just have to understand what it means. The green light did go... Maybe the red did too, but I got the gist of it. It might even mostly be a wiring error, but an ectoplasm sample couldn't hurt. That's what really got mine going."

"I definitely have room to improve it. Yours is awesome... I mean, really... This is so cool, Holtzy." Abby smiled as she continued staring at Jillian's device with wide, mesmerized eyes. "What's this part?" She pointed out a meter on the top.

"Strength. Like strength of the spirit's energy. A really excited or really angry ghost would register higher than one that was really calm and indifferent." Jillian explained.

"Wow. That's really useful." Abby whispered. "And what's this?" She turned the device on its side where there was a small screen."

"I took that off an old calculator and rigged it up. It shows proximity." Jillian explained. "An estimated proximity at least. It hasn't always been accurate. It measures in meters. It's been wrong like half the time, so... That part still needs work." She shrugged and frowned.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, Holtzy. That's awesome. Mine doesn't have all this extra stuff. Mine's more of a yes/no... Like... it beeps green if there's a spirit nearby and stays red if there isn't. And as you just saw, even that part doesn't work right." Abby laughed. "You're amazing."

Jillian couldn't help but to smile. "Thanks. I worked pretty hard on it."

"Well, you do the honors then." Abby handed the device back and stuffed her own meter back into her bag. "We'll follow your lead. You're the expert here."

Jillian laughed. All three of them were older than she was. She hardly felt like she fit in at the high school in general, but she really felt a sense of belonging with them. They respected her. They were okay with her being better at certain things than they were. They didn't get jealous or defensive about it.

"I've seen him in this hallway, the hall by the science rooms, the boys' bathroom, and the basement." She told them. "I don't want to try the basement this time because he locked me in there and threw me into a pile of desks last time. I don't want to go into the boys' bathroom because..." She hesitated, glancing toward Erin, who knew exactly why she didn't want to go to the boys' bathroom. Jillian shook her head and looked back at Abby. "Because I just don't. We'll maybe check the halls first."

"Okay." Abby nodded.

Jillian turned on her detector and held it up in front of her. Abby leaned over and stared at the meter and the proximity screen. "Looks like there's a pretty calm one... Like twenty meters ahead."

The four of them looked up and down the hall.

"I don't see anything." Erin noted.

"Let's get closer." Jillian suggested. She felt Patty grab the back of her shirt - the fuzzy cardigan Erin had given her.

As they walked down the hall, the number on the proximity meter lowered, lowered, lowered... and then started getting higher. "What..." Abby frowned, looking around herself.

Jillian took a few steps back, watching the meter climb backward, ten meters, nine, eight, seven, six, seven... She stepped forward and looked up. "I think it's six meters above us." She guessed.

"So it's by the science rooms! Like you said!" Abby exclaimed. "Let's go!" She took off running toward the stairs. Jillian ran after her, equally excited.

"Wait up!" Patty yelled. "We're supposed to stick together, remember!"

"Well, come on then!" Jillian yelled back as she ran past Abby and up the stairs. "Rex!" She yelled out as she climbed the stairs two by two. She ran down the hall as the number on the screen decreased, but the meter for the spirit's energy increased. Was it getting more angry? Was Rex mad now that he saw them all here.

"Rex? It's me... It's Jillian. I brought some people for you to meet. Listen, you can be friends with them too. They're really cool." She yelped as she felt a very strong force knock her off her feet and into one of the classrooms.

"Jillian!" Erin's voice yelled as the door slammed shut behind her.

Jillian heard the sound of something or someone slamming against a locker outside as she climbed to her feet and rushed toward the door, peering out the long, rectangular window as she pulled at the handle and the door didn't budge.

"Are you guys okay?" Jillian yelled, tugging at the door again. Erin was on the floor near the lockers and Abby was kneeling down next to her.

"I'm alright!" Erin yelled.

Jillian felt anger bubbling up inside her as she pulled her hands into fists at her sides. "Rex, you can't beat up my friends!" She screamed, looking aimlessly around herself. "I can have other friends besides you!"

The lights in both the room and the hallway flickered as the familiar green glow filled the room. Jillian leaned her back against the door and stared into the room. She wasn't entirely confident that Rex wouldn't hurt her.

"Holtzy!" Patty's worried voice yelled as she heard and felt the older girl pounding on the door behind her.

"Now do you see?" Rex's voice was very low as he spoke from somewhere Jillian couldn't see.

"See what?" She whispered in a low, almost growling voice.

"They're using you." Rex continued.

Jillian shook her head. "That's not true."

"They only showed up once you had a purpose to serve to them. Kevin didn't notice you until he needed your intelligence for his grade." Rex explained.

"He's new. He showed up because he just moved here." Jillian growled. "And the others aren't using me either, so don't even start."

"They've been around all year... All year when other kids were abusing and hurting you..." Rex spoke. "They did nothing."

"Neither did you." Jillian hissed. "And you even said that you were watching me. They weren't. Abby didn't even know I went to the high school. They didn't know I needed a friend. You did. You saw me struggling and waited. The second any of them noticed I needed some help, they helped me. They stood up for me, helped me when I was hurt or upset - sometimes before they ever knew my name."

"You honestly think none of those girls noticed you until now?" Rex growled. "You don't think they heard other kids talking about you or saw them shove you against lockers in the hallway?"

Jillian shook her head. She honestly believed they hadn't noticed her, because they were juniors and seniors. They didn't have classes together. Their lockers weren't near each other. Jillian hadn't noticed them either.

"Holtzy, what's happening? Do you see him?" Abby's voice yelled from the hallway as the door knob rattled. "Can you unlock the door from in there? I just see the green light... Can you see him?"

"He's just talking!" Jillian yelled back. "I already tried the door... It needs a key, I think... And I've never seen him. Just the green glow!"

"I'll prove my loyalty. In a way they cannot." Rex spoke in low, even words.

"What does that mean?" Jillian breathed, staring wide-eyed around the room. "Rex?"

"I wish you understood who to trust... who not to trust. They don't care about you how I do." Rex told her.

Jillian frowned. This whole interaction felt very similar to the night she and Patty had gone looking for Rex. Rex claimed the ghost who attacked them wasn't him... but that ghost and this ghost operated so similarly. That night, the ghost had closed the door between Jillian and Patty. Rex just did the same. It had thrown Jillian and Patty where it wanted them in order to separate them. So did Rex. It threw Jillian into the desks - probably to hurt her. Rex just did the same thing to Erin.

"Was it you?" Jillian breathed, feeling both betrayed and scared as she suggested it."If you were mad or felt threatened, we'll work through it... Just tell me the truth, Rex... Did you attack me and Patty?"

"Of course not." Rex breathed. "It's disappointing to see you trust the wrong people, but I wouldn't hurt you. You should know that."

"But you threw Erin into the lockers just now." Jillian reminded him.

"I don't trust her." Rex's voice was very low again.

"Well, I do... Don't do that again." Jillian frowned. "If you care about me, don't hurt my friends."

Suddenly, the green glow vanished and the lock on the door clicked open.

Jillian breathed out a small breath as she looked around the room, and as someone opened the door behind her. She felt hands on her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Patty's voice asked.

"Did he hurt you, Holtzy?" Abby wondered.

"I'm alright." Jillian told them. "Rex?" She called out. He didn't even indicate that he was leaving. He just left in mid-conversation.

"Guys, I recorded that whole thing on my phone!" Erin gasped, turning the screen to show them. "I wish I could have gotten more of what went on here in the room... But even the stuff in the hallway was awesome. What happened in here?" She asked, looking at Jillian. "I couldn't catch much from the window."

"I still couldn't see him." Jillian pouted. "He won't let me see him. It was just the green glow again, and he said I shouldn't be friends with you guys. He's really jealous... and I'm starting to get worried he's gonna do something to you."

Erin's eyes widened and Patty exhaled and shook her head.

"Man, maybe we shouldn't be doing this shit anymore." Patty grumbled. "I don't want to be killed by a damn ghost."

"I told him not to hurt you guys, and he just vanished." Jillian frowned.

"He's a ghost, Holtzy. What can he really do?" Abby shrugged.

"I don't know." Jillian frowned. "That's the scary part... We really don't know how much he's capable of."

"It's been mild though." Abby noted. "He hasn't like actually tried to kill anyone, right? Just sorta threw people around..."

"Oh yeah. That's mild." Patty scoffed. "I don't like being thrown around myself... Maybe you'll feel different the first time he throws you into the lockers or knocks a pile of desks on you."

"Patty..." Jillian laughed. "Calm down... I agree, okay? But Abby's right too. If he is dangerous, it's not in the worst way... He hasn't attacked anyone in a way that is really violent or obviously an attempt at murder."

"So we're just gonna wait until he escalates to an attempted murder?" Patty frowned.

"No, but we do need to understand him better before we decide what to do next. If he's just mad, maybe we can work it out. If he can throw people around, he could have thrown us around more. It's been minimal... He shoves people where he wants them and then stops... So far... We do need to watch and be careful, because he might want to do worse." Jillian guessed.

"Well... I guess from here, we research. We've got video now. We can search the room for ectoplasm. We've all experienced it, so we've got four different perspectives. We'll figure out what kind of ghost he is, what he's capable of maybe... Did anyone else see the lights flicker?" Abby asked.

"They always do." Jillian noted.

"Was there a certain part of the room where the green glow was more concentrated? That's where we should look first for ectoplasm." Abby suggested.

Jillian shrugged. She frowned when something caught her eye on Erin's shoulder. "There's some right there." She nodded.

"What?" Erin frowned, looking behind herself.

"Right here." Jillian grabbed an empty beaker off a shelf and walked up to Erin. "Anybody got a pencil?"

Abby fished one out of her bag and handed it over. Jillian used it to scrape the glob of green goo off of Erin's shoulder and into the beaker.

"Ew..." Erin grimaced.

"It's just ectoplasm." Jillian shrugged. "It's a pretty good sized sample too."

"Well, Holtzy... If you really feel like this ghost might be a threat, we could try to work on a ghost-zapper or something." Abby suggested. "I've read about other people making devices to get rid of ghosts... Like you said before, there's the kind that traps them and the kind that just destroys them. If other people can do it, I know you can. Your detector is awesome."

Jillian smiled. "Thanks, Abby. I might have a few ideas."

xxxxxx


	18. You Have People On Your Side This Time

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Chapter 18: You Have People On Your Side This Time

Friday: Before School

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"Thanks for driving me again." Jillian breathed as she climbed into the back seat of Erin's car. She hadn't told anyone but Erin what Michael and Richard had done yesterday, and Erin probably knew about Michael and his brother harassing her as she tried to walk to school the day she met Abby for the first time. Abby seemed like the sort who would have probably shared that information with her best friend. Jillian really appreciated that Erin not only offered to give her a ride this morning, but didn't act weird about it. Erin knew Jillian needed her for this, and Jillian was so grateful that the older girl remained cam and collected over it.

"No problem." Erin forced a small smile. Jillian could tell her newest friend was still upset that Jillian hadn't told anyone else about what Michael and Richard did to her in the boys' bathroom, but Jillian was glad Erin knew better than to make a scene about it or to press the issue any further. "I'll drive you home after too. I can meet you at your last class and we can walk out together. Abby's got an appointment, so it'll just be you and me."

Jillian smiled. "Thanks, Erin." As far as Jillian knew, Erin hadn't even told Abby about what Jillian told her... Abby probably would have freaked out in a louder, more disruptive way than Erin did, and Erin knew that. She was respecting Jillian's choice to not make the whole incident into a thing - even if Erin didn't agree that was the smartest thing to do.

"Abby, get my phone out of my bag and show Jillian the zoomed in part we found last night." Erin requested.

Jillian looked toward Abby as the older girl fished around in Erin's bag and found her phone, taking it out and inputting the other girl's password without a second thought. Jillian felt a small smile pull at the corners of her lips. She hoped she'd have a friend one day whose phone password she knew without thinking, and who knew her passwords too.

"Look." Abby turned the phone so Jillian could see it and hit play. "Keep an eye on the right side. You can see a definite shape pushing you into the science room, and then almost at the same time shoving Erin toward the lockers."

Jillian narrowed her eyes and stared at the screen. It looked like Erin had been filming as she ran. A green blur flashed across the screen as Jillian stumbled into the room and Erin was knocked off her feet.

"Did you see it?" Abby asked, staring at Jillian with raised eyebrows.

"Maybe..." Jillian stared harder at the phone, taking it from Abby and playing that part of the video again. She played it a few more times and then paused it where it seemed the best view of the mysterious form showed up. It almost looked like a human-like form, but kind of too stretched out. There were no defined legs... Just a sort of blurry torso and head, just one arm, and the hand looked almost clawed - if you could even call it a hand.

"That's his arm, I think." Abby pointed at the screen.

"Yeah." Jillian nodded, tilting her head slightly to the side. "Do you think he was really tall when he was alive? Or do ghosts just start looking creepy regardless of what they looked like while living?"

Abby shrugged. "Pretty cool though, right?"

Jillian nodded, handing the phone back. "Yeah. That's the closest I've come to seeing him."

"So was that green stuff on Erin's shirt real ectoplasm? Do you have any way to test it?" Abby wondered as she tucked Erin's phone back into her bag and turned slightly in her seat, looking over her shoulder at Jillian.

Jillian shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't even know what ectoplasm was until you told me. I can't imagine what else it would be though. It always shows up whenever the ghost does, never anytime else. That's gotta be what it is. We'll have to design some kind of device to test it... but we need to analyze it more first so we know what we're even testing for. It's good that we have these few samples that seem like they couldn't possibly be anything else though. It'll be a good place to start when designing a machine to test future samples."

"Future samples?" Erin frowned. "Isn't it just Rex that's the issue here? Can't we figure out what to do about him and be done? I don't know that we need a whole machine to test different samples of ectoplasm. How many times do you think we're gonna do this?"

Jillian shrugged. "There's more ghosts than Rex out there. Wouldn't all of these devices have been useful when that mean old lady ghost was tormenting you as a kid? Maybe we won't even be the ones who really need to use the stuff, but we can design it at least. Use it if it comes up, let other people benefit from it otherwise. It's a pretty untapped field of study. So many people consider any study relating to ghosts to be fake, so there's not that much out there."

Abby nodded. "We can be some of the first scientists to really delve that deep into the whole thing."

"I guess." Erin agreed. "I mean, it can't hurt to just design the stuff, even if we don't need to use it personally."

"We will use it though." Jillian grinned. "If the ghosts don't come to me, Imma seek 'em out. We're on the verge of some pretty awesome scientific discoveries here. I'm not gonna just sit back and do nothing. I'll make an analyzer and search the whole city for ghosts just to test it. It'd be nice to test if the ectoplasm we already have is from the same ghost or not too, since Rex keeps denying stuff. Then we wouldn't ever have to wonder. We'd test the sample and know."

"I doubt there's a second ghost, Holtzmann." Abby shook her head. "Rex is lying to you. He got jealous and freaked out and doesn't want to admit it."

"I think so too... But there's a big difference between thinking and knowing. I always prefer to know." Jillian explained.

Abby nodded.

"We're probably going to have to get rid of Rex." Jillian frowned, feeling an empty feeling in her chest as she said it. She really wanted Rex to be a good ghost, but it just didn't seem like he was. "I've been working on a ghost-zapping prototype - well, notes on it anyway, and I've been collecting resources to build it. I think I'm pretty close." Jillian went on. "I read about it in that book, Abby. That one with the ectoplasm chapter? It's got so much in it. That's like the most thorough book ever."

"I know!" Abby agreed. "I actually bought a copy for myself after reading it the first time. It's got everything. The people who wrote it aren't just frauds like a lot of them. They write about stuff that adds up. Ectoplasm, the green aura that follows a lot of ghosts. They say sometimes it's blueish. I haven't seen that yet, but I don't doubt it. There's a really creepy chapter near the end on possession too." Abby shuddered. "They can possess pretty much anyone. That's what I read. There's no way to prevent it. It's not like they only go after people who are weak, or kids or anything. They just find a target, jump into their body... and unless you just so happen to notice they're acting weird... you'll never know it's not them. Ghosts have been doing that kind of stuff for ages, and it's not considered a valid defense in court to say you were possessed."

Jillian grimaced. "Kinda makes you wonder about all the criminals and murderers who ever insisted that they didn't remember doing it... Maybe they were telling the truth. At least some of them."

Abby nodded. "That's messed up... Can you imagine? Or like if your husband or boyfriend or friend or something just started trying to kill you out of nowhere? Because they're possessed, but you wouldn't know that... So you'd just be there getting murdered by someone you totally love and trust... That'd be so awful."

"You guys are creeping me out." Erin spoke up from the driver's seat as she flipped on her turn signal and slowed down.

"Sorry." Abby smiled back at Jillian. "So when are we gonna go ghost-hunting again?"

"I don't know if we even should, guys." Erin frowned. "Especially not if this ghost might possess one of us. We got the video... It's really cool already... and this ghost doesn't seem to like us. He might do something worse next time."

"Then we can get a better video!" Abby noted. "Besides, according to everything Holtzy's said, the guy's escalating. Do you think he wouldn't try to kill us during school if he really wanted to? If he's gonna possess one of us or otherwise do something to hurt us, he'd just do it in the middle of the day. He's not gonna respect our schedules. We've gotta get rid of him."

"We can go again when I get my ghost-zapper finished." Jillian suggested. "But I don't want to zap him without being sure I have to... Jealousy and a bit of violence isn't good... but I'm not sure where his spirit would end up if I perfected this device and used it on him... I might still have some reservations on leaving his fate uncertain. So far he just shoved some of us pretty hard and said things that were possessive and/or vaguely threatening. I don't think that's a big enough crime for me to want to send his spirit to limbo or whatever."

Abby nodded. "We can give him another chance, I guess. He hasn't done anything that bad."

"Well, he threw Erin into the lockers... and probably threw me into a pile of desks. I didn't appreciate that." Jillian remembered.

"It didn't hurt that bad." Erin shrugged, pulling her car up into her parking space and putting it into park. "He's a ghost... Social rules might be a little different for them... I mean, shoving someone against lockers or into a pile of desks is rude, definitely, but... he's a ghost... Maybe that's gentle for them. Maybe when you're a ghost you've got to be a little more forceful to get your point across - since you'd be invisible half the time."

Jillian shrugged as she climbed out of the car.

"We'll walk you to your locker." Erin suggested, staring at Jillian for a long few seconds. Jillian could tell what she was thinking - she didn't want Michael or Richard harassing or attacking her again.

"Thanks." Jillian smiled, feeling a little choked up. This was exactly what she was trying to convey to Rex - that these girls and Kevin actually cared about her. It wasn't just about the ghost detectors or the Chemistry grade. They actually wanted to make sure she was okay. They were going out of their way, spending their own time and effort to watch out for her - which was more than Rex had done. Erin didn't have to make sure she made it to her locker. Jillian would have kept being friends with her anyway. She would have still shared her ghost expertise and devices... Erin was doing this just to be nice, just because she cared.

"What class do you have first?" Abby wondered as they made their way inside.

"P.E." Jillian answered. "I've been skipping it a lot..." She laughed. "So I need to make sure to actually go today."

"Yeah. You probably should." Abby smiled. "P.E.'s easy. Wouldn't want to have to take it again just from skipping. You basically just have to show up to get at least a B. Depending on your teacher."

"I have Mr. Grubbs. I don't think he likes me." Jillian forced a laugh. It felt so good to be able to talk to someone else about her life. About the smaller things that weren't terrifying to speak of, but which she was still bothered by. She felt like Mr. Grubbs was annoyed with her all year, but never really had anyone to vent to until now.

"He's a grouch. He only likes the football and basketball players. And only the guy ones too." Erin noted. "I guess he doesn't think anyone else is valid."

"P.E. teachers are weird." Abby shrugged as the three girls made their way down the hallway toward Jillian's locker. "I've got Ms. Rodriguez this semester and she's just been alternating between floor hockey and badminton... I don't think we've done anything else all year. And she always plays the sport too and gets mad if her team doesn't win. Accuses the other side of cheating. Every time."

"We just walk every day. Like laps around-" Jillian interrupted herself with a small breath as they neared her locker, she stopped in her tracks and stared, swallowing nervously. Bryan and Michael stood right in front of it, talking casually to each other. Their lockers were nowhere near hers. Bryan's was all the way at the end of the hall and Michael's was on a different floor. They were definitely waiting for her.

Jillian sucked in a breath through her teeth as she glanced toward Abby. She was ready to just tell the older girls she'd skip her locker for now and come back after P.E. to get her books. She didn't want to deal with this... But Abby seemed to have other ideas.

"Their lockers aren't even on this floor. These are freshman and sophomore lockers..." Abby growled, glaring toward them as she started walking angrily down the hall.

Jillian stared at Erin with wide eyes, as Erin swallowed nervously and followed behind Abby. Jillian followed as well.

"Hey Threeway!" Michael laughed as the girls approached.

"Let's just go." Jillian whispered, grabbing Erin's sleeve and avoiding looking at the boys. She didn't want Erin or Abby to hear them say anything vulgar. It was embarrassing. It didn't matter that Abby would probably get mad and defend her and that Jillian probably wasn't in any actual danger in this moment. She didn't want them to hear the kind of things they said. She didn't want them to know how much Jillian had to put up with. The fact of the matter was, Jillian was often too scared to say anything back or even to ask them to stop at this point. She didn't want Abby and Erin to hear these older boys saying all that awful stuff to her. She didn't want them to see Jillian avoiding eye contact as her cheeks grew red. It was bad enough having to listen to this stuff when she was alone.

"Why don't you stop harassing little freshman and worry about your own fucking life for once." Abby growled as she stormed up to them. "This is a freshman/sophomore hallway. You have no reason to be here."

"I'm a sophomore." Bryan reminded her with a cocky grin and a shrug. "And I'm dating a sophomore. Alexa's locker is around here somewhere. Forgot which one." He lied, pretending to look up and down the hallway to find it.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Jellyfish." Michael smirked as he looked over at Jillian.

Abby frowned and glanced toward Jillian.

"I don't need my books, Abby..." Jillian breathed, really not wanting Michael to say anything about yesterday. She didn't want Abby to know. She didn't want the older girl to say anything to a teacher or do anything to make Michael or Bryan more angry, and thus more willing to hurt her later.

"No. This is your fucking locker. You have every right to get your books right now." Abby growled as she shook her head. "Get out of the way." She demanded of Michael and Bryan.

"Do you still get to call yourself a virgin if you let junior girls finger your pussy?" Michael cocked his head to the side and stared at Jillian.

Jillian looked down at the floor. She didn't want to argue with him. There was no point in insisting that she wasn't dating or having sex with her friends. They knew she wasn't. They were just trying to make her uncomfortable.

"She's a freshman, you sick fuck." Abby shook her head as she stared up at Michael. "I know you're kinda hung up on high school because you can't seem to graduate, but you're an adult now. You've gotta stop saying sick shit like that to little girls. Just because you're still here doesn't mean you're still a kid. She is... So you need to stop."

"Says who?" Michael laughed. "Honey, I don't care if you don't like it. If I want to tell her how much I'd like to push her up against the wall, wrap my hand around her neck and fuck her while I choke her, I will. If I want to tell her how much I'd love seeing her on her knees with my dick in her mouth, I'm gonna. You're not in charge here. You're just a loud, overly confident, fat fucking nerd, who needs to mind your own goddamned business."

Jillian winced and glanced toward Abby, who looked mad, but had a hint of something else in her eyes as well. For the first time Jillian had ever witnessed, the older girl didn't know what to say. Jillian could tell that comment had hurt Abby's feelings. Whether you care what someone thinks of you or not, little digs like that hurt. Jillian knew that as well as anyone.

"Leave her alone, Michael." Jillian finally spoke up with a frown and a scowl.

"Leave her alone?" Michael laughed. "You heard what I just said about you, and you're worried about Glasses here? I just said I wanna choke you while I fuck you and cram my dick down your throat... But you're mad that I called Fatty a couple mean names?"

Jillian frowned and breathed in an angry, shaking breath. "You're just an asshole, Michael. You're mean to me, and now you're mean to them, just because they're my friends, and just because you think you can be. You're not smart or funny. You smirk like you think all this crude shit you come up with his so clever and hilarious, but it's not. It's gross. You're just rude and vulgar. Maybe you don't know how to be anything else. You've got no good reason to be like this, to treat people like this. I can't understand why you think it's funny to make people feel bad."

"It is funny." Michael laughed. "Glad to see you've found out how bullying works though, Sweetheart."

"So do you like fat fingers or cold skinny fingers?" Bryan went on. "Do you ever let them both finger you at the same time?"

Jillian felt her lip form a pout as she tried to hold her head high and keep her tears from falling. She hated that they got away with talking to her like this, but what was she supposed to do?

"I think she can still say she's a virgin." Michael circled back around to his previous point. "A girl's still a virgin until she's had real dick. I can help you with that." He laughed, raising his eyebrows as he nodded toward Jillian. "Unless you're planning on letting Kevin pop your cherry. I notice you're fighting dirty for him now."

Jillian scowled at him. "She attacked me."

"I don't know why you girls are fighting to the death for this kid. He acts kinda like he's retarded." Michael raised his eyebrows. "I mean, he looks like your typical jock, and I know Bridgette really wants him to bone her, but he's dumb as hell."

"You're the one who's nineteen and can't graduate." Abby growled.

"We'll carry your books for you, Babe." Bryan offered. "You girls can go. Jellybean and I are in the same P.E. class. I'll make sure she gets there safe and sound." He winked.

Jillian gasped and shrunk back as Bryan reached out toward her.

"Stop." Erin finally spoke up, pulling Jillian slightly behind her. Jillian stared nervously at Erin as she stood defiant between Jillian and Bryan. "You guys need to grow up." She said, her voice low and calm, though very slightly shaking.

"Why?" Bryan whispered, leaning down closer to Erin. "It's words, Bitch. If us telling her we'd like to fuck her is the end of her world, she's the one who needs to grow up. We're just having fun... Ghost Girl. Holy shit, Michael... Ghost Girl! Remember? I knew I knew this chick from somewhere... and that's where! She's Ghost Girl! From grade school! And she's fucking Ghost Tits now!"

Michael laughed. "Jesus Christ! I forgot about that!"

"Ghost Girl and Ghost Tits. What are the chances?! Why don't you ladies make out for us. Come on. Give Ghost Tits a little kiss, Ghost Girl." Bryan reached out toward Erin's arm and grabbed it.

"Don't you ever fucking touch me." Erin growled, slapping his hand away. "And don't either of you touch her. Ever." She added. "I'm not scared to go to the police."

Jillian inhaled a shaking breath as she stared from Erin to Bryan, and then back and Erin again. Erin looked so small standing there, staring up at Bryan like she was ready to physically fight him. Jillian wished she was as strong and fearless as Erin and Abby. These two boys could hurt all three of them if they wanted - easily... But Erin was standing up to them anyway. So had Abby.

Jillian glanced toward Michael next. His face looked kind of pale as he stared at Erin, seemingly adding up in his head that maybe Erin knew about yesterday. Jillian swallowed nervously and her heart felt like it might pound out of her chest. She wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that. Didn't she promise them she wouldn't?

"Our dad is a cop, Bitch." Michael noted, reaching out and shoving Erin roughly against her shoulder as he started walking off. "Come on, Bryan."

Jillian caught Erin as she stumbled back against her. She felt Erin trembling slightly as the older girl shook her head and turned to face Jillian. "I'm sorry..." Erin whispered.

"Why?" Jillian whispered too. Erin had stood up for her. There was nothing to be sorry for.

"Maybe I shouldn't have said that... I didn't know their dad was a cop... That might legitimately make going to the police not a viable option... And now they're just gonna be more mad, like you said..." Erin frowned.

Jillian stared at her for a moment as tears stung at her eyes. Without knowing what to say, she reached out and pulled Erin into a hug. She felt Abby's arms around both of them and then moved her one arm to incorporate Abby into the hug too.

"I can't believe they say that shit to you, Holtzy..." Abby whispered. "I guess I was kinda speechless at the end... I didn't know what to say. I'm not sure why that got to me. They've said rude shit to me before... I think what they said about you kinda threw me off too. They're really vulgar. That's not okay what they said. That was completely inappropriate. I should have said something."

"It's okay..." Jillian breathed. "You both defended me more than anyone else ever has. You guys and Patty... I don't think anyone else in my whole life would have done that..."

"We'll walk to you to P.E." Abby offered. "And if you ever need someone to walk with you to your other classes, just let one of us know. I'll bet Patty would walk with you too if she knew what these guys said to you... Whether they're serious or not, that's fucking scary."

"I know." Jillian forced a laugh as she pulled out of the hug and went toward her locker. She closed her eyes when she looked down and realized her hand was shaking as she input her combination. "I wish you guys hadn't heard all that..." She frowned.

"It's good that we did." Abby told her. "You don't have to keep stuff like that a secret, and it's no reflection of you that they said all that shit. That's them being creeps. You've got nothing to be ashamed of. They do."

"Thanks, Abby." Jillian smiled. "I'm sorry they said that mean stuff about you."

"That's alright." Abby forced a smile as she put her hand on Jillian's shoulder. "I've heard worse... And it just means I got on their nerves... They were really mad that you had people on your side this time."

Jillian offered a tiny, breathless laugh as she felt a small sense of pride in her chest. Maybe that was true... It was scary wondering if they'd do anything mean to her for it... but Jillian had people standing up for her now... for the first time ever... Her bullies had to hate that.

xxxxxx


	19. It's A Long Way Down

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Chapter 19: It's A Long Way Down

Friday: Second Hour

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Bryan was surprisingly silent during P.E. Jillian walked with Kevin and the other boy left them both alone. Alexa and Renee hadn't said anything to her in the locker room either. The girls seemed be avoiding her. Hopefully punching Bridgette had solved that aspect of the whole thing, and maybe Bryan had gotten all of his bullying for the day out of his system early.

Jillian couldn't tell if having friends now was making the whole bullying thing better or worse. On the one hand, people were defending her now... teaching her how to defend herself, reminding her that she was worthwhile and that no one had a right to treat her like garbage. But on the other hand, her bullies seemed annoyed by the mere fact that she wasn't alone anymore. In the case of Kevin, Bridgette's jealously made her behavior escalate dramatically this week.

She wasn't sure if Abby and Erin standing up for her this morning really made Bryan and Michael mad or not. She wondered what they would have done if Abby and Erin hadn't been there. Of course, Jillian wouldn't have ever been brave enough to approach her locker on her own. They probably wouldn't have talked to her at all, because she would have hidden from them. They seemed kind of surprised that Erin and Abby had stood up to them. Jillian hoped they wouldn't pay her back for that later...

Now Jillian was heading to her next class - English. She had all of her books stacked up in her arms as always - to avoid her locker so nothing like what happened this morning would happen again.

She made her way down the hallway, hefting the heavy stack of books up in her arms. Her arms were always exhausted by the time she made it to her classes. One would think carrying all these books every day would have strengthened her arm muscles, but that didn't seem to be the case. Every day, carrying them all was difficult, but every day, she did it anyway.

Jillian exhaled as she made it to the stairs and started heading up. She frowned when she looked up toward the top and saw Bryan standing there staring down at her.

She paused, standing still in the middle of the stairs until someone behind her shoved her and she was forced to brace herself against the wall. "Sorry..." She whispered, still staring up at Bryan. She started to turn to walk back down the stairs, but winced when she saw Richard standing and smirking down at the bottom.

Biting her lower lip, Jillian started back up the stairs. She'd just have to try to rush past him. She didn't have a choice. She had to either go up or down, toward the boy who had assaulted her, or toward the boy who threatened to. Toward her English class, or back the way she came.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she quickened her pace to a near-jog, but Bryan was too fast. He grabbed her by her shirt and pulled her back. A few kids walking by glanced toward them, but kept going, caring more about getting to their classes on time than asking if she was okay.

"Where's your girlfriends?" Bryan laughed as he dragged her toward the railing and pushed her back up against it. The railing only went up to her waist. If he pushed her any further, she could fall over it.

"Bryan, stop..." Jillian pleaded in a small voice as she looked to the side. Richard had jogged up the stairs pretty quickly and was standing rather menacingly a couple feet away.

"Did you tell your friends about yesterday?" Richard cocked his head as he stared down at her, grabbing her books out of her hands.

"No." Jillian squeaked.

"Then why are they following you around like they think they're your bodyguards? Why's Ghost Girl threatening to call the fucking police?" Bryan growled.

Jillian shook her head. "I didn't say anything. Abby knew Michael and you were harassing me because she saw you the other day before school... and Erin and Abby both were there when you guys were saying stuff this morning... They only know what they saw themselves. They were walking with me because we're friends."

"They never walked with you before..." Richard stared. "You told them."

"I didn't..." Jillian whimpered, biting her lower lip. It was a lie. She did tell Erin. She kind of wished she hadn't, but she did. Richard and Bryan couldn't know for sure though. "They don't know about yesterday. They just know what they saw. We just made friends recently. That's why they're walking with me now and never did before. I didn't know them before. I didn't tell them anything. I swear."

"Then why'd your skinny friend start talking about going to the cops when you were all talking to Mike and Bryan this morning?" Richard breathed.

Jillian shook her head. "They were being threatening... They said they wanted to choke me and have sex with me... That's not okay... Erin was defending me..."

"Okay, little girl. I gotta tell you something." Richard leaned down close, causing Jillian to shrink down away from him. "If they just say they want to do those things, it doesn't mean they're actually gonna. You can't go to the cops and say you're mad someone said some words you didn't like. Your little friend hasn't got shit on any of us. Unless you told her about yesterday."

"I didn't." Jillian gasped.

"We can say whatever we want." Richard went on... "And you know what? Actually, we can do whatever we want too. If your friend doesn't want to get involved, she better keep her mouth shut. I wouldn't mind getting the two of you into one of the showers in the locker room... Make you both get naked. Maybe make you finger each other and I can film it... Me and Bryan and Mike could take turns fucking each of you. Then your friend can go to the cops. Go tell Mike and Bryan's dad. That'll work out great."

Jillian felt her lower lip trembling as she grabbed at the railing behind her and tried to shrink away from Bryan's hands and Richard's face. "She won't really go to the cops." Jillian breathed. She didn't know whether to warn Erin against these new threats or not. Telling her might just make Erin mad - and more willing to tell someone.

"She better not. If Mike and Bryan's dad hears shit about this, it's over for you. They won't get in trouble, but they'll be mad." Richard reminded her. "I'll bet mad enough to really hurt you. Would your parents notice if you went missing?"

Jillian felt her chest grow cold. "Are... Are you saying you guys would kill me?" She whispered.

Richard smirked. "It's totally possible, Girly. If you act like a little cunt and tattle on us, or if your new little friends do... Maybe Mike and Bryan would keep you tied up in their basement for a couple weeks. Maybe you'd be our little toy for a while and we'd throw you away when you're all worn out or too broken."

Jillian swallowed and shrunk down against the railing. "We won't tell..." She whispered, pulling at her arms while Bryan held onto them in tight fists. "I wont say anything. I promise... Can I go? Please?" She whimpered.

"Not yet, Babe." Bryan chuckled.

Richard shook his head as he stared down at her with a frown and then looked at her stack of books in his hands.

"I'm just trying to go to English..." Jillian breathed, grabbing toward her books as Richard pulled them out of her reach.

"You reading Romeo and Juliet in English, Jelly?" He asked.

"Yeah." She whispered.

"Isn't Juliet thirteen in that story? I think I remember my teacher going on and on about how young she was, and that Romeo was older." Richard smirked, tossing the book over the railing. "Like us." He added. "Like you and me. I could be your Romeo, Jellybean. Without killing ourselves... Do they fuck each other in that story?" He wondered.

Jillian shook her head. "I don't know..." She whispered.

"Well, they'd have to in a modern version, right? Everything's about sex these days." Michael smirked.

Jillian grimaced as Bryan grabbed her arms to keep her still.

"And this one. Damn. This one's heavy for a little girl like you." Richard dropped the History book over the railing next. It landed with a loud smack, which seemed to draw the attention of enough kids that a small crowd was forming at the bottom of the stairs.

"I didn't tell them." Jillian said again, even though it was only half-true. "I didn't tell anyone about yesterday. I just want to go to class. I didn't tell anyone..."

"Good. Then you can not tell them about this either." Richard smirked as he tossed her Biology book down the three flights of stairs and looked down at it. "That's a long way down..." He noted.

Jillian breathed in a soft breath as she looked down at the ground-floor where her books had landed. It was definitely a long way down.

"What'd you write in here?" Richard opened her notebook and immediately looked confused. "What kinda weird alien shit... What class is that for?" He laughed, nodding down toward her notes about her ghost detector. "This shit is all over the place. What does it even mean?" He frowned down at the page. She could see he felt slightly frustrated, and maybe even threatened by the fact that he couldn't make sense of it. She had called him stupid earlier this week. He knew she was smarter than he was, and he hated that.

Jillian stuck her lower lip out, but didn't answer as Richard shook his head and tossed the notebook over the railing.

"I heard your girlfriends got up in Michael and Bryan's faces this morning." Richard noted as he grabbed Jillian from Bryan and positioned himself in front of her - with her back to the railing. It would just take one hard shove to push her over.

Jillian swallowed as she looked over her shoulder. She wondered if he'd really do it... Would it kill her if he did? She could probably survive it as long as she did't hit her head on the way down, or otherwise land at exactly the wrong angle... But it was unlikely she'd escape the fall with no serious injuries. She really didn't want to find out.

"You wanna give me a kiss, Jellybean?" Richard smirked down at her.

Jillian frowned and quickly shook her head, but couldn't bring herself to speak.

"Why not?" Richard stuck his lower lip out in a mock-pout.

She shook her head again. She didn't know what to say, or if she should say anything at all. Of course she didn't want to kiss him. He knew that.

Jillian let out a frightened yelp as Richard grabbed her arms tight and suddenly pushed her backward. He was still holding her, but the second he let go, she'd fall for sure.

"Richard, please..." Jillian whimpered, reaching her hands up and grabbing desperately at his arms, trying to get a grip so if he did let go, she still wouldn't fall.

"Please, what?" He laughed, pushing her even further, but still holding on tight.

"Don't let me fall..." She choked, blinking back tears as she grabbed at his arms and tried to pull herself back up.

He pushed her back even further with a laugh and Jillian let out a shaking scream, earning a few gasps and whispers from the growing crowd of useless spectators below. Didn't any teachers hear this? Even if they hated her too, they were legally obligated to at least pretend to care about something like this, right?

"Are you scared?" Richard whispered, leaning her even further over the edge as she held onto his arms with a death grip.

"Yes." She whispered. "Please let me up..."

"Do you think anybody would try to catch you?" Richard smirked. "There's a lot of people down there."

"Please don't let go..." Jillian whimpered, moving her hands slightly in order to attempt to get a better grip. If he let go, she'd fall. She could feel herself slipping against the railing. She was too far over the edge and she didn't have a good grip on him. His arms were too big and she couldn't hold onto them well enough with her small hands. She was gripping his shirt... but the material would probably tear or slip out of her hands if Richard wasn't holding her up too.

"Hm..." Richard narrowed his eyes. "Should I let her fall or not...?"

"I don't know, Richard." Bryan laughed. "I do have to say she's kinda cute when she's panicking though."

Jillian let out a small sob as she pulled on Richard's arms, trying to climb back to safety. He was holding her too firmly in his own hands. He was fully in control of whether or not she fell. There was nothing she could do but beg and hope for mercy.

"What'll you give me if I don't let you fall?" Richard asked as he seemed to only be pushing her further over the railing. He still held on tight, but all it would take would be for him to let go - even on accident...

"I don't know..." Jillian breathed shakily. "Whatever you want..."

"Oooh. That's dangerous." Richard laughed. "Whatever we want, Bryan."

"No..." Jillian backpedaled, feeling a different sort of fear seizing her chest.

"You already said it, Babe." Bryan laughed. "Now you've gotta give us something good."

Jillian choked out a panicked, desperate sob as she clawed at Richard's arms. "Please let me up..." She whimpered.

"Stop!" Someone yelled from below. It sounded like Abby, but Jillian couldn't bring herself to try to look and confirm that.

"Hey... There's one of your girlfriends now..." Richard laughed as he finally pulled her back over the railing.

Jillian felt herself shaking as Richard put his arms around her and hugged her against his chest. She was still clinging to his arms from before, and couldn't get her hands to work. She couldn't bring herself to untangle her fingers from his shirt sleeves. She couldn't get any part of her body to work. She just stood there with Richard's arms around her, shaking and breathing in and out, feeling that same panicked feeling in her chest from before.

Richard laughed as he pulled back and leaned down quickly kissing her lips.

Jillian whimpered and turned her head, finally spotting Abby pushing through the large crowd of kids below.

"Let me through." Abby growled. "Why aren't any of you doing anything?" She growled. "Get out of my way if you're not gonna help."

Jillian was still shaking as her attention was brought back to herself when Bryan grabbed her out of Richard's hands, shoving her back against the railing again.

"Bryan, don't!" Jillian sobbed, grabbing at the front of his shirt.

"I wouldn't let you fall, Babe." Bryan whispered as he put one hand on her back and ran the other up over her chest, squeezing her breast over her shirt while still holding her threateningly and precariously over the rail.

Jillian squeezed her eyes shut as she ignored his hands on her and focused on holding onto him instead. She wasn't sure if he'd really let her fall or not, but she knew he wouldn't let himself fall - not on purpose anyway.

"Please stop..." She whimpered as he continued roughly groping at her chest and she gripped the front of his shirt tighter.

"I like how you look when you're scared." Bryan breathed, leaning down close. "It's hot."

Jillian turned her face away and exhaled a shaking wince.

"I think I'd like to fuck you while you're scared." He noted. "Bet you'd shake and cry... but make really sexy little noises..."

"Bryan let her go!" Abby growled as she finally pushed past everyone enough to reach the top of the stairs. She grabbed at Jillian and pulled her out of Bryan's grip. "What is wrong with you guys?" She breathed, hugging Jillian close as the younger girl couldn't help but to sob.

"What's wrong with all of you?" Abby screamed down at the crowd of kids at the bottom of the stairs.

"Fuck off." Richard laughed and started walking way. Bryan followed him, leaving Abby and Jillian alone as the interest of the crowd below waned as well.

"Honey, are you okay?" Abby breathed as she hugged Jillian close against her chest.

Jillian sniffed back tears, but forced herself to nod. She still felt the breathless panicked feeling in her chest. It was a feeling that was becoming increasingly familiar lately.

"This is bullshit." Abby growled as she pulled Jillian closer, running her hand comfortingly over the younger girl's back as Jillian simply stood there staring down at the floor and leaning against Abby. "We've gotta tell someone."

"Abby, we can't." Jillian breathed. "Michael said his dad was a cop... And what are the teachers gonna do? Suspend them for a day, if that? They'll just get madder and do something worse next time."

"You can't keep letting this happen without doing something." Abby frowned. "Why wouldn't they do something worse? Aren't they already doing worse things every day? They're gonna do what they can get away with doing."

"Maybe not." Jillian whispered. "Rex asked me when I first met him if I wanted him to do something... At the time, things were bad, but not this bad... I didn't want him stepping in - mostly because I was scared he might hurt them really bad, or even kill them. Maybe I could get him to do something... Not anything violent... He's an actual ghost, so he could probably do something terrifying without actually hurting anyone. Just something to scare them enough to make them never want to bother me again..."

"They need more than that. It's not enough to scare them. You should tell Rex to do something big - not necessarily kill them, though I can't say I'm totally opposed to it." Abby started.

"No..." Jillian shook her head, pulling back from Abby's hug with a frown. "I don't want them dead... That's too far."

"If you say so..." Abby exhaled, looking Jillian up and down with a scrutinizing eye. "Are you sure you're alright?" She asked again.

Jillian breathed in and out, blinking and swallowing before nodding. "I think so... They just scared me."

"Alright. Let's go get your books. I'll go with you to your class." She offered.

"Are you sure? You're gonna be late to yours." Jillian frowned.

Abby shrugged. "I'd rather be late than send you off alone after that."

"Thanks, Abby... Don't tell Erin about this." She requested.

"Why?" Abby frowned.

Jillian shrugged. "I just don't want everyone worried or mad... She might try to tell a teacher or something. I'm not ready for that..."

Abby nodded slowly. Jillian could tell she didn't want to keep this from Erin, but she finally agreed. "Alright. It can stay between us for now - well... us and the rest of the school that was down there watching."

Jillian forced a smile and followed Abby down the stairs to retrieve her books. Seeing a small crowd of students standing by doing nothing while she was tormented was nothing new... but it still made her feel worthless, like her well-being wasn't valued any more than an entertaining show. The other kids would rather satisfy their own sick, twisted curiosity than speak up for her or physically defend her.

"We need to get you a phone, Holtzy." Abby noted as she bent down and picked up some of Jillian's books. "So you can text one of us if you need someone to walk with you. Maybe we should all compare schedules and get something sorted out so you don't ever have to walk to any of your classes alone."

"Do you think Erin and Patty would be willing to do that?" Jillian laughed. They'd all end up late all the time.

"Sure." Abby shrugged. "None of us want anything to happen to you."

"You'd be late though." Jillian shook her head.

"That's okay. Worst case scenario, I'd get a detention... At least you'd be safe." Abby shrugged.

Jillian smiled as Abby held onto her books and started back up the stairs, silently offering to carry them all for her.

"I know we've only known each other for a couple days, Abby..." Jillian started, but stopped herself before she could say the rest. She wanted to tell Abby that she was one of her best friends, that she felt like Abby cared more about her after two days than pretty much anyone else ever had after months or years. But that was too much. Maybe Abby would think Jillian was being over the top, clingy, needy... She didn't want to get emotional. Emotions were hard.

"Yeah?" Abby looked over her shoulder with a small frown.

"Nothing." Jillian laughed and shook her head. "Just thanks..."

"You're welcome." Abby smiled warmly and turned back around as she finished her trek up the stairs.

xxxxxx


	20. Kevin Meets Rex - Sorta

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Chapter 20: Kevin Meets Rex - Sorta

Friday: Lunch

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For the first half of lunch, Jillian found a spot in the cafeteria and simply sat there, staring down at the table. She didn't know what to do anymore. Up until recently, she knew how to deal with the bullies. Their threats and actions weren't fun, but they were tolerable and less frequent. Ever since she met her new friends and Rex, things had gotten so much worse. They were out of control - in a larger way than before.

Michael, Richard, and Bryan had made crude sexual remarks to her before. That was nothing new. They'd even groped her very minimally, always over her clothes. Always something quick enough that they could laugh and say it was on accident... But what they were doing now was terrifying. She didn't know if she could put up with it for much longer.

She licked her lips as she looked up. She could go downstairs and try to find Rex. She could ask him to help her. She'd just have to specify that she wanted him to scare them, not seriously injure them. Maybe injure them a little... Just enough so that they know hurting her equals a ghost hurting them... She didn't need it to be horribly violent or deadly... Just something so they'd know it was serious - that something unpleasant to them would come from them messing with her again.

With a bracing exhale, she stood up and headed downstairs. She and Rex could work something out. She was running out of options, and if Rex truly did want to be her friend, she could put him to work. He'd already offered it...

As she made her way down to the basement door, Jillian winced and looked over her shoulder when she heard footsteps. That was the last fucking thing she needed, for one of her bullies to follow her down here where no one would possibly see or hear anything if they attacked her. Not that it would matter. Most people would just watch and laugh anyway.

"It's just you..." Jillian's shoulders slumped and she exhaled a relieved breath when she saw Kevin making his way down the stairs. "What are you doing down here?"

"I saw you leave. I was gonna sit with you, but you got up and left before I could." Kevin shrugged.

"Oh... Well..." Jillian bit her lower lip as she turned back toward the door. Maybe she could get Rex and Kevin to meet each other. Maybe if Rex just formally met him, he'd see that Kevin wasn't a bad person. Maybe that had been her problem here - that she had kept her living friends so separate from her dead one. Maybe Rex felt alienated because Jillian wasn't including him with her other friends. She'd introduced all of her alive friends to each other, so why not make a formal introduction here? Of course, she introduced Patty to Rex and that hadn't gone well...

"So what are you doing down here?" Kevin wondered.

"Um..." Jillian looked back over her shoulder. "Can I show you something?" She asked.

"Sure... What is it?" Kevin wondered.

Jillian swallowed and turned back toward the door, lifting and pulling. She frowned when she heard a thudding noise, followed by Kevin groaning. She turned back around. He was on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Jillian frowned, walking up to him and reaching her hand down to help him up. "What happened?"

"Guess I slipped down the stairs." Kevin laughed as he grabbed her hand and let her help him pull himself up to his feet.

Jillian shook her head and furrowed her brows. "You were already at the bottom, Kevin..." She blinked a few times and turned back toward the door. Kevin was so fucking weird.

"So what did you want to show me, Hon?" Kevin asked.

Jillian scoffed and looked back at him. He hadn't ever called her pet names like that before. She shook her head and rolled her eyes as she lead Kevin into the basement. "Do you believe in ghosts?" She asked as she turned back toward him.

Kevin shrugged. "Not really."

"Well, there's one down here... And I might be able to get him to come out if you want to meet him." Jillian explained. "Rex?" She called out, looking around the room as the door very slowly pushed itself closed behind Kevin and made the familiar locking sound from before.

Jillian stared toward the door and licked her lips. That had seemed a little more slow and sly than before. Rex had just locked them in, but made sure not to make a show of it.

"Rex?" Jillian whispered. "I want you to meet my friend... I think we can all get along better if you met everyone and they met you. I know you're in here... Come out and meet Kevin. He's really nice."

"I don't think he's here." Kevin smiled.

"He is..." Jillian frowned, looking around the room again. "Please come out, Rex... I can be friends with you and Kevin too, at the same time. I don't have to be the only person you talk to. Kevin can be your friend too. And Abby, Erin, and Patty... I'm not choosing them over you. I'm choosing all of you. You need more friends than just me anyway."

"Honey, ghosts aren't real..." Kevin put his hand on Jillian's shoulder as he chuckled. "I mean... I guess no one knows for sure, but..."

"He's real, Kevin." Jillian pouted and shrugged down away from his hand. "That or I'm totally crazy..."

"That's okay." Kevin put his hand back on her shoulder and ran it down her arm, resting it on her waist. "I'm okay with crazy... It's kinda sexy. Since we're down here anyway, and we're alone... do you wanna do something?"

Jillian frowned and stepped back. Was he implying what it seemed like he was implying. "Kevin, what's wrong with you?" She finally asked. He didn't normally act like this. He had never - not even once implied to be interested in her like that. He didn't even act like he was interested in anyone. Romance and sex seemed very far from his mind compared to a lot of boys his age... so where was this coming from?

"Nothing." Kevin shrugged. "Just wondered if you wanted to mess around a little."

Jillian shook her head. "No, Kevin... You know I don't... What happened to me being too young for you?"

"Young is cute." Kevin shrugged.

Jillian forced a laugh and walked past him toward the door. "You're weird, Kevin." She noted. She didn't quite get the joke, but it had to be a joke. He had never expressed any sexual interest in her before, and she flat out told him she wasn't interested in boys... And he flat out told her she was way too young for him to see her like that. This had to be an attempt at humor.

"Come on, Sweetie." Kevin went on, walking up behind her and putting his hand on her shoulder, spinning her carefully back around and putting his hands on her back, pulling her close up against his chest. "It'll be fun. We can make out down here, maybe try a couple new things - we can go slow if you haven't done anything like that before. You trust me, right? It'll be our secret hookup spot."

"Ew. No." Jillian frowned, shrugging out of his hands. "That's not funny, Kevin, so stop. I have enough older boys saying gross stuff like that to me when they know it makes me uncomfortable. I don't like it. I don't think it's funny."

"I'm not trying to be funny." Kevin went on, taking a step toward her. "I'm not like those boys. I actually like you. I'm not trying to embarrass or hurt you. I actually think you're sexy, and I want to do some stuff with you. It'd be fun. You're really cute, Jillian. I know we've just been friends up until now, but I'd really like to make it more. You'd be making me really happy."

Jillian shook her head as she backed herself up against the door. "Kevin, please stop... I don't know if you're joking-"

"I'm not." Kevin interrupted, stepping closer and putting his hand against her cheek. "I won't hurt you. You don't have to be scared... I'll take it really slow. Just let me do this."

Jillian frowned as she stared up at him. "I said no, Kevin... This isn't funny. I don't like this..." She said in a small voice, starting to feel legitimately scared. She didn't think Kevin was this kind of boy... He'd never seemed at all like this before... If he was making a joke, it wasn't a good one.

"Come on, Sweetheart... I don't want to have to force you." Kevin frowned, putting his hand on her waist and the other on her upper-back, pulling her close and leaning down to kiss her.

"Kevin, stop!" Jillian demanded, turning her face to the side and shoving her hands against his chest. He hardly moved as she shoved him. His feet were firmly planted in place and he wasn't about to let go of her. His grip wasn't painful, but was forceful enough to be very scary. He was really strong. If he didn't want to let her go - she wasn't going to get out of here.

"Shhh..." His voice shook with soft laughter as he held her tight. "It'll be fun. I'll be so slow, so careful. Nothing too crazy yet. I know you said you're into girls, but you haven't even tried to be with a boy yet, right? We'll just try it, and if I can't change your mind, it'll be a one-time thing."

"Kevin, you're scaring me..." Jillian whimpered. "There's nothing funny about this... You need to let go of me. Now."

"Just calm down, Love." Kevin breathed, pulling her closer and running his hand up and down her back while she continued shoving uselessly against his chest. "I'm never anything but gentle when I do this kinda stuff. The first day I met you, and we were assigned to work together... I just knew it would lead to this... Sweet, timid, smart, sorta feisty little girls like you are my favorites."

Jillian swallowed as she stared at him with furrowed brows. There was something really wrong here. Something completely off. This couldn't be real. Kevin didn't talk like this. Kevin didn't act like this. He'd never try to force himself on her. This wasn't right. This wasn't Kevin... Every other time she had talked to him, he was completely okay with her correcting him when he was wrong, backing up if she seemed uncomfortable. The other day when he grabbed her arm and saw she was upset, he immediately let go and apologized. This didn't add up.

Kevin wasn't sexually attracted to her. Jillian was sure of it. These weren't his thoughts, his actions. But it did remind her of something troubling - something Rex had said... He said early on that he believed Kevin would do this. Rex was the only one who seemed to legitimately think Kevin would hurt her like this. Maybe Rex didn't even actually think Kevin would do this. Maybe he just wanted him to - so Jillian would ditch him and hang out with only Rex instead. Was that what was happening here? Was Rex trying to produce the illusion that he was right about Kevin? Was he trying to prove something to Jillian? Scare her into staying away from Kevin from now on?

She wondered if Rex had the power to make himself look like someone else... Or wait... Didn't she just read something about ghosts possessing people? Kevin had fallen down behind her - claiming to have fallen down the stairs when he had already made it down to the bottom... She just thought he was being weird, but maybe Rex had knocked him over... Is that how possession worked? Was it forceful like that?

"You're so sweet and innocent, Jillian." Kevin went on. Jillian narrowed her eyes as she noticed a small green glint of light shine in Kevin's eyes. "I really like you, and I thought you liked me... This is what I've been wanting the whole time. I really hope you don't fight me, Hon. I don't want you to get hurt."

Jillian felt her lip trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. This wasn't Kevin. This was Rex, trying to prove to her that Kevin was bad like he had said... She didn't know how far Rex would take this though. Would he stop if Jillian made it clear she knew it was him? Or would accusing him of that - even if it was true - just make him angry... and make him want to hurt her more - as Kevin.

"No thanks, Kevin... I think I'm gonna go..." Jillian breathed, hoping leaving the basement entirely might be enough to solve this. She ignored his hands on her and reached for the door handle, but Kevin quickly moved his hand up next to her face, blocking her exit with his arm. She breathed in a sharp breath and swallowed nervously.

"We're friends, right?" Kevin stared down at her.

"Yeah..." Jillian whispered. Should she just tell Rex she knew it was him? Would that make things worse? If she believed this was Kevin, Rex wouldn't have to actually follow through with this... He could just leave it. He'd made his point. If Jillian had experienced even just this much honestly believing it was Kevin here talking to her, she wouldn't have wanted to be around Kevin again. He didn't have to take it any further... But maybe he would if she made him mad - if she accused him of possessing her friend in order to hurt her.

"I've been really kind to you, haven't I?" Kevin went on.

Jillian frowned and nodded.

"No one else was your friend. And I was nice to you. I've been patient. There are other girls who would let me do this..." He leaned in closer, causing Jillian to shrink down. "I could have been friends with them instead."

"Just let me leave..." Jillian whimpered.

"We can take things slow." Kevin spoke, blinking so that the greenish glow in his eyes went away for a moment. "I'll be careful with you, Doll."

Jillian felt sick as she looked up at him. Rex had called her that pet name before. He didn't have Kevin's personality or speech patterns down at all.

Kevin put his hands on her waist, pushing her shirt up over her stomach as he ran the other down toward her hips. "I'll go slow. Don't get upset. We're still friends. I just want this too."

"Don't!" Jillian grabbed at his hands as she felt his strength pushing her back against the door. She wondered if that was Kevin's strength or Rex's... She knew Kevin had to be really strong... she just never thought she'd get this kind of demonstration.

"Shhh." Kevin cooed, pushing her shirt up further as he leaned down as though prepared to kiss her.

"Stop!" Jillian screamed, finally balling her hand into a fist and hitting him as hard as she could.

Kevin groaned and stumbled back. Jillian stared breathlessly as she pulled her hand close to her chest. She hit him hard enough that her knuckles were actually throbbing. As she stared at him, she swore she saw some very faint greenish wave of air leave his body and quickly vanish up through the ceiling.

She stared at the lights above them as they flickered and the door lock clicked back open.

"Ow..." Kevin groaned, putting his hand up toward his cheek and looking down at Jillian. "Did you just hit me?" He wondered.

Jillian opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again. She didn't know what to say. How much of that had he been aware of? Did he know he just attacked her? Did he know someone else was controlling his body or did he think he just chose to try to force himself on her without realizing why he'd do that?

"Was I sleepwalking? Did you hit me to wake me up?" Kevin frowned, looking around the room. "Where are we? Am I like a narcoleptic now? Last thing I remember, I was standing at the bottom of the stairs..."

Jillian felt her shoulders sink as she exhaled a relieved breath. He didn't remember... Which meant she didn't have to worry about him feeling guilty over this - over something he had no control over.

"Yeah... I think you were sleepwalking." She lied, hearing her voice shaking still.

"Are you okay? Have you been crying?" Kevin frowned, reaching out toward her cheek and wiping away a tear.

Jillian winced and flinched back, bringing her own hands up to her cheeks and drying them with her sleeves. She didn't realize she had been crying. "Just 'cause I wanted to show you something down here and you fell asleep before I could." She lied. "I was disappointed."

"Enough to cry? Man... I'm sorry, Jill. Must be why you hit me so hard. Is your hand okay?" Kevin reached out and took her hand in his own, turning it over gently and running his fingers lightly over her knuckles.

Jillian couldn't help but to laugh. She had just punched him in the face - really hard... and for all he knew, the only reason she had for doing it was because he fell asleep. And yet he was apologizing.

"I don't think it's broken or anything." He noted as he let go of her hand and smiled. "Sorry you had to resort to that to wake me up. I had no idea I was like a sleepwalker." Kevin shrugged. "What did you want to show me?" He asked. She was lucky Kevin was so quick to accept that explanation.

She shook her head, but narrowed her eyes as he noticed something green and slimy running down from somewhere behind his ear, down his neck and into the collar of his shirt.

"What, Jill?" Kevin frowned. "Are you sure you're alright? What were you going to show me?"

"This." She gestured toward his neck, looking around the room for something to collect the sample in. She settled on small plastic cup full of paperclips and dust.

Kevin turned around, trying to see what she'd gestured to, until she put her hand on his shoulder. "Hold still." She instructed, emptying out the paperclips and using one to scrape the substance off of his neck and into the cup. She held it up to show him.

"What is that?" Kevin frowned. "Was that in my hair?"

"It's ectoplasm. That's something ghosts leave behind. There's a ghost that hangs out down here." She explained. "That's what I wanted to show you. I was going to ask for him to help me with something... But I don't think he wants to help me anymore." She frowned.

"Really?" Kevin frowned, looking around the room. "He wanted to help you before and now he doesn't?"

Jillian shook her head. "I don't think he ever really wanted to. He's just trying to manipulate and control me. Let's go back upstairs."

"Alright." Kevin shrugged. "I think lunch is almost over. Can I walk you to your next class?"

Jillian nodded, but felt her body stiffen as he put his hand on her arm. She knew it wasn't him who just attacked her. It was his body, not his mind. He was in his own head again. His hand was large and strong. He could hurt her if he wanted to - but he didn't want to. Rex had wanted to, and Rex wasn't here anymore.

"You okay?" Kevin frowned as he moved his hand back away from her.

She nodded and pulled the door open. "I'm just kinda..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say to him.

"Have those girls left you alone now? The ones in P.E. and Bridgette?" He asked.

"I guess." She shrugged.

"I heard you punched Bridgette in the nose." Kevin leaned down and shoved her lightly against her arm. "Way to go, Jill... She deserved it."

Jillian laughed softly.

"So where are we going?" Kevin wondered.

"I've got study hall. I think I'm just gonna go to the library." Jillian told him. "My study hall teacher is the one cool teacher I have. He doesn't take attendance, so I don't even have to check in with him."

"Awesome." Kevin nodded. "Well, I'll get you there. I think I know where the library is."

"I'll show you." Jillian laughed. It figured someone like Kevin wouldn't have needed to know where the library was yet. He'd been here a full week... but she wouldn't have been surprised to learn he wasn't big on reading or research.

Jillian led the way, showing Kevin the library and thanking him for walking her. She really was hoping to find Patty inside. She didn't know where any of her friends would be right about now, didn't have a phone to text them... Her only guess was knowing that Patty liked hanging out in there... But if she had a fifth hour class... she wouldn't be in the library. She'd be in her class.

Jillian walked inside and started toward the front desk, where a school staff member she didn't know but sort of recognized as familiar stood. He was an older man.

"Can I help you, Dear?" He smiled warmly.

Jillian frowned. "Is Patty Tolan working? Or just... around here somewhere?" She looked nervously around the room.

"She works before and after school. And last hour... Sorry, Sweetheart. I can help you find something though." He offered. "What are you looking for?"

Jillian shook her head. "No thanks..." She exhaled and went over to the couch near the computers. Fifth hour had already started. Patty and the others would already be in their classes. She wasn't going to get to talk to any of them anytime soon. Maybe the Rex-Kevin-possession situation would just have to be another secret she kept from them. It wasn't like it would do anyone any good to talk about it anyway. She wasn't mad at Kevin, and didn't want anyone else to be either... This was just another piece of evidence against Rex - who she already didn't trust.

Leaning back against the couch, Jillian exhaled and looked around the library. She had about forty minutes to kill, and nothing to do. She narrowed her eyes as she noticed a whole class of kids in the computer lab. They looked like older kids - juniors or seniors. Maybe typing a paper. It wouldn't hurt to check if any of them were Erin, Patty, or Abby... It was probably an English class. Everyone took some kind of English class.

She stood up from the couch and made her way over, immediately grinning when she saw Abby sitting quietly at the last computer in the row. She was staring intently at the computer screen, typing away. Jillian bet Abby did well in school. She seemed like the type who would.

"Abby..." Jillian whispered as she went over to the computer on the end and squatted down.

"Holtzmann?" Abby laughed softly. "What are you doing here?" She looked around as she whispered.

"I have study hall. I need to talk to you." Jillian urged in a low voice.

"Can it wait?" Abby whispered. "My teacher's kind of a hard ass..."

Jillian shook her head. "I think Rex just possessed Kevin."

Abby frowned and her eyes widened. "What? Is he possessed right now? How do you know this? Why do you think that?"

"Abigail." The teacher's stern voice called out.

"Sorry..." Abby winced and looked back at her computer.

"Ask to go to the bathroom." Jillian whispered as she stood up. "Sorry ma'am." She called out to the teacher with a forced smile and a small nod and walked out of the lab. She made her way toward the library's exit and opened the door, standing just outside of it, waiting in the hallway for Abby. Hopefully Abby would take her suggestion and the teacher would fall for it.

Jillian exhaled as she stared down the hallway and rocked back and forth from her toes to her heels. No one else was walking around. That was good. No chance of anyone awful seeing her standing alone and taking advantage. She tapped her fingers on a locker near the door and looked up at the ceiling. Finally, Abby emerged.

"What's going on?" Abby frowned as soon as she was in the hallway.

"Kevin followed me downstairs, and it was really him at first - not possessed. I was gonna introduce him to Rex, because I went down there to ask Rex to help with Michael, Richard, and Bryan. I didn't know Kevin was following me. So I changed my mind a little at first, like not completely... I still wanted to ask Rex for help with the bullies, but I wanted to add introducing Kevin to Rex to my to-do list while I was down there, since Kevin was there too, and there's been this whole jealously thing. Maybe Rex was so jealous because you guys are separate from him. I wanted to make it clear to Rex that I could be friends with all of you - that I wasn't choosing you guys over him, so what better way than letting him meet Kevin, right? Since he was there." Jillian explained.

Abby blinked, looking slightly confused by Jillian's somewhat lengthy over-explanation.

"Anyway, Kevin followed... and when I wasn't looking, Rex knocked into him I guess... And then he was acting weird, asking to make out with me and stuff, grabbing me. Saying I was cute and he wanted to be more than friends. I knew something was wrong." Jillian shook her head. "And he wouldn't let me leave... He kept grabbing me, trying to kiss me..." She forced a nervous laugh.

"Oh my god." Abby stared. "Honey, are you okay?"

Jillian nodded. "Yeah..." She shrugged and forced another breathless laugh. "I'm fine... He didn't do anything. It was kinda scary and weird, but he didn't do anything. I think Rex wanted me to think Kevin was awful, but he didn't want to like really hurt me, so he held back a little. Kinda asked more than forced for the most part, but got a little more forceful at the end - but not like hitting or choking or anything crazy. Just kind of holding me too tight and pushing his hand up under my shirt..."

Abby's eyes were still huge as she shook her head. "Holtzy, that's awful. Even if he wasn't rough, that's not okay. Are you sure it was Rex? Are you sure Kevin's not-"

"No." Jillian interrupted. "Kevin wouldn't do that. It wasn't him. He was calling me names like 'Hon' and 'Doll...' I knew it was weird... and I saw a green glow in his eyes, and there was ectoplasm on him after. I hit him, and it made him stop. Then he acted more confused. Rex said once that he thought Kevin was just using me, and that he wanted me to do stuff like that. Rex was trying to show me he was right about Kevin. Probably so I wouldn't be friends with him anymore."

"So he's not possessed now?" Abby frowned.

Jillian shook her head. "No, but that was definitely possession. Just like the chapter in the book. Just like articles on the internet. Rex is taking things way too far. He's not an option to help anymore. I think we're gonna have to get rid of him - for real... I gave him second chances - more than second. Third, fourth... I mean, he acted possessive, shoved me into a pile of desks and threw Patty away from me... Threw Erin into the lockers... Acted jealous even more... and now he's possessing my friends and making them attack me. We've got to get rid of him. There's no other way. If he's going to jump inside my friends' bodies and use them to assault me..." She trailed off.

"Yeah..." Abby grimaced. "That's not okay..."

"So I'm gonna use the new ectoplasm I got off Kevin..." She held up the little cup. "And I'm gonna work on my ghost-zapper. I'm gonna make it good... It's gonna be strong and it's gonna be effective. I'll try to figure it out this weekend, and maybe next week we can finish this."

"I hope Rex isn't listening in here, Holtzy." Abby frowned.

"Yeah..." Jillian looked nervously down the hallway. "I hope not either..."

xxxxxx


	21. Watermelon and Tea

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Chapter 21: Watermelon and Tea  
Friday: Seventh Hour Chemistry

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Jillian scribbled 'J. Holtz' at the top of her completed Chemistry quiz and then walked up and dropped it on the top of the stack. The person whose quiz was under hers got most of them wrong.

She shrugged and went back to her seat, opening up her book and turning to the chapter about possession. She had been combing over this chapter ever since the incident with Kevin down in the basement. She wondered if he was totally alright now. Were there any lasting affects with something like that?

The book seemed to offer contradictory answers. Either some ghost possessions were physically harmful to the host and some weren't, or there were too many false claims mixed in with real ones - enough to skew the research.

Narrowing her eyes, she looked up toward Kevin's seat, staring at the back of his head. He was acting normal now - normal for him at least, lifting up his sheet of paper and looking under it and around the floor. It looked like he was looking for his pencil, which was tucked behind his ear. He turned in his chair, seemingly ready to search the entire expanse of the floor.

Jillian shook her head softly, but cleared her throat to catch his attention without violating Mrs. Covington's no-talking-during-quizzes rule.

Kevin looked up at her with a frown.

Jillian reached up and tapped her own ear.

Kevin continued staring, shrugging and shaking his head in confusion.

Jillian slowly mouthed, 'your pencil,' and tapped her ear again.

Kevin slowly reached up toward his own ear, staring at Jillian as though waiting for confirmation. She nodded and his fingertips reached the missing object. He smirked and let out a soft laugh as he nodded back at her and then turned back around to finish his quiz.

Yeah... He was back to normal now. Like nothing had ever happened... And to him, nothing had. Jillian could forget about it too - since he didn't really hurt her, and it wasn't really him. It was scary, but it was Rex who had scared her - not Kevin. And she was going to deal with Rex very soon. He wouldn't be a problem for much longer.

Jillian looked up at the clock as the end of the class bell rang. She glanced back toward Kevin, who exhaled and shook his head as he put his pencil back behind his ear again and took his quiz up to the front of the room, putting it on the pile as most of the other students filed out of the room.

Kevin headed back toward Jillian's table next. Jillian notice Bridgette frowning as she watched the interaction from across the room. She had a swollen, purple bruise on both sides of her nose. It made Jillian feel a certain degree of satisfaction - knowing how much this girl cared about her appearance - and knowing Jillian was the one to temporarily ruin that for her. It was Bridgette's own fault. She deserved to feel ugly and hurt for once after everything she and her friends had done to Jillian.

"I'm pretty sure I just failed that." Kevin frowned as he leaned against Jillian's table.

She smiled up at him, glad he was himself again. She hoped Rex didn't try to do anything else like that. After all, what was more terrifying than your own friends turning on you in such an awful way? Now Jillian felt like she was going to need to watch every single one of her friends irrationally carefully. Rex could possess any of them. Jillian trusted them more than she trusted anyone, but all it would take was for Rex to hop into their bodies, and they might hurt her too.

"Do you need a ride home?" Kevin asked.

Jillian shook her head. "No thanks. Erin's meeting me here in a couple minutes."

Kevin frowned and leaned down close. "I heard someone in the hall whispering something about her being a ghost... She's not the ghost you were talking about earlier today is she? I know she's nice and all, but I don't feel comfortable talking to a ghost. I wish you would have told me-"

"No, Kevin..." Jillian closed her eyes and shook her head. "People called her 'Ghost Girl' to be mean. Because a ghost harassed her when she was little and she told people and no one believed her. She's not a ghost."

"Oh... Good." Kevin exhaled in relief.

Jillian glanced back up toward Bridgette, who was vigorously texting on her phone, while occasionally glancing back toward Jillian and Kevin. She hoped the older girl wasn't talking about her in those texts. Bridgette and her female friends had left Jillian alone pretty well after Jillian finally fought back... but Bridgette had male friends too - and Jillian was certain they weren't scared of her.

"So you think you did well on the quiz?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah." Jillian answered. "It was easy."

"Oh man... Not for me." Kevin laughed. "Do you think they'll give me points for trying? My other teacher used to."

Jillian frowned. "I don't know if she gives points just for trying."

"You doing anything fun this weekend?" Kevin asked.

Jillian shrugged. "Working on a science project."

"The Chemistry one? I can help." Kevin offered.

"No. A different one. It's a personal project. Not for school. Ghost-related." Jillian answered.

"Oh... Well, I'll leave that one to you." Kevin laughed. "Anyway, I should go. I'm getting new head shots done at five o'clock, and that's probably soon. I gotta make sure my hair looks good. I'll see you on Monday, alright?"

Jillian nodded. "See ya, Kevin."

She watched him walk out and remained in her seat while the rest of the kids did the same. Even the teacher left before Jillian. She must have trusted that none of the kids would bother anything in the room when she left it unlocked. It seemed kind of irresponsible... But Jillian didn't mind. She was glad to wait somewhere she felt relatively safe until Erin got here. Waiting in the hallway just wasn't the same. Too many people would see her.

She yawned and laid her head down on her stack of books on the table. Erin would have to be here soon. She was probably getting all of her books together right now. Then she'd walk down the hallway, maybe go to her locker first, and then come straight here. It would probably be no longer than five or ten more minutes.

Jillian glanced up at the clock again after a few more minutes passed. Maybe Erin's teacher wanted to talk to her about something. Or maybe Erin was finishing a test or cleaning up something or another. Jillian didn't know what Erin's last class was. If it was art or a science class, there could likely be cleanup needed. If it was P.E., she'd have to get dressed. Maybe the teacher forgot to dismiss them from the gym until the bell rang and they had to go get dressed on their own time.

As she waited, Jillian looked up at the blackened part of the ceiling titles and thought about what classes she guessed Erin would take. Some classes would be required - like P.E. Some kind of English and Math. Jillian bet Erin did well in English. She was probably a good writer. Maybe art too. She seemed like the sort who would be able to craft very careful, very detailed art. Maybe pottery.

The school offered a few foreign language classes. Jillian bet Erin took French. Abby probably took Spanish. Patty probably knew a lot of whatever language she took - if she took one. Being a senior, she probably had two or three years of it done already. Jillian wasn't taking a foreign language yet. Her academic councilor had advised against it in favor of study hall since she was starting high school so young.

The sound of the door creaking open brought Jillian out of her thoughts. She turned toward it, feeling a smile beginning until she saw it wasn't Erin walking in.

Jillian's smile melted off completely and her eyes widened as she saw Michael's smirking face peeking around the door. "Bridgette said you'd be in here. Waiting on Ghost Girl?" He mocked.

Jillian quickly stood up with a soft gasp, pushing her chair back so hard that it almost fell over.

"I brought some friends." Michael noted, pushing the door open further so that Richard and Bryan could make their way in. He closed the door once they were all inside.

"What do you want?" Jillian breathed.

Michael shrugged. "Some of your time... a little entertainment maybe."

Jillian shook her head, frowning as her eyes scanned the three older boys and she noticed Richard holding a knife in his hand. Once she noticed the knife, she couldn't stop staring at it.

"You like this?" Richard smirked as he waved his knife in front of himself.

Jillian swallowed and continued staring silently. They wouldn't really stab her, would they? That was too far even for them... Right?

"This is my little buddy." Richard noted as he glanced toward the knife."She's got a name, you know. It's 'Do What We Say So I Don't Stab You.'"

Jillian felt herself shaking as she backed away from the table, leaving her books. There was only one door - one way out, and the boys still stood very near it. She wondered if the knife was just for show - to get her to do whatever they said... That was a pretty big gamble to hope for though. She wouldn't know for sure until she refused whatever they demanded and they didn't kill her - or maybe they would kill her... Then she'd know they weren't kidding.

"Alright, my sweet little Jellybean. Here's the deal... I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise. You do what we say, and none of us will hurt you or your friend. Got it?" Michael started.

Jillian took another step back. There was nowhere to go.

Michael didn't chase after her. Instead, he walked over to one of the tables, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

Jillian frowned as she stared across the space at him. She didn't understand what they wanted this time. What were they going to do? Why weren't they doing it.

"Come sit." Michael patted his own thigh.

Jillian felt her heart sink. She shook her head and took another step back.

"Come sit on my lap." Michael said again, sounding a bit more impatient this time. "Or I'm gonna have Richard hurt your friend when she gets here. If you don't want Ghost Girl to be an actual ghost, you gotta listen and do what we say."

Jillian felt tears stinging her eyes as her quick breaths burned her lungs.

"You want me to get her for you?" Richard asked with an annoyed sigh as he took a step toward her. She still held his knife threateningly in front of him.

Jillian whimpered and moved further back, pressing herself up against a shelf full of spare Chemistry books as her eyes darted around the room. Bryan stood near the door. The room had no windows. There was absolutely no way out of here without shoving past the boys.

"No, Richard." Michael shook his head. "She can walk over here herself. You've got about five seconds, Jellybean... If your little ass isn't right here on my leg pretty soon, I'll just come over and get you... And you won't like it. I can promise you that. I'll push you up against that shelf, choke you until you pass out... Maybe fuck you while I'm at it... That sound fun, Jellybean? Some people like getting choked while fucking. We can find out if you're one of those people. Then after you're passed out and I've had my fun screwing you, I'll wait for Ghost Girl to get here, fuck her too, have Richard kill her... Maybe let the boys fuck your unconscious body if they feel like it, and then we'll leave." He shrugged. "So come on." He patted his knee again.

Jillian shook her head as she breathed in a shaking breath. "No you won't..." She whispered. "You won't kill us. You'd never get away with it..."

"Okay." Michael laughed with a shrug. "I guess we'll play it your way then. You want to hope I'm not serious? Fine. Guess we'll find out. Richard, when her friend gets here, hold her down 'til I'm done fucking her." He nodded toward Jillian as he started to stand. "Then we'll fuck her friend too-"

"No..." Jillian breathed, staring with wide eyes as pressed herself against the book shelf.

"Then come sit." Michael spoke more slowly, sitting back down and leaning back a bit. "I mean, seriously... You don't want to do something as simple and harmless as sitting on my lap, so much that you'd rather me fuck you and your friend instead? Babe, I'm telling you your choices. I'll choke you while I'm screwing you, screw your friend, let Richard stab her to death... Or you just come sit on my fucking leg. I can't believe I even have to put effort into convincing you here... Do you want me to fuck you? Do you want your friend to die?"

She shook her head and looked down, bringing her hands up to her mouth and inhaling a shaking breath, trying to keep herself from crying.

"Then come on... This is the last time I'm asking." Michael warned.

With her lower lip trembling and tears welling up in her eyes, Jillian swallowed and forced herself to walk over to Michael, pausing nervously in front of him until he gripped her wrist and pulled her down onto his lap. She let out a shaking whimper, but didn't try to stand, and didn't beg him to let her go. She was too scared for Erin's sake.

Jillian exhaled a shaking breath as she stared down at the floor tiles. She felt Michael's hands running up and down her arms and noticed Bryan walking up beside them.

"Look up here, Ghost Tits." Bryan spoke.

Jillian reluctantly did as she was told, frowning when she saw he had his phone out in his hand, pointing it down at her. Was he recording this? "What are you doing?" She whispered.

"Bryan's making us a little movie..." Michael smirked. "So we can watch all of this, over and over. And so we can remember you and your sorta hot friend forever."

Jillian's lip shook as a small sob choked its way up out of her mouth and she shrunk down, trying to ignore the feeling of Michael's hands pulling her closer against his chest. He rubbed one hand up and down her arm as he pulled her head close to his chest with the other, petting her hair.

"Shhh... It'll be a nice movie. Nobody's gonna get hurt, so you don't need to be scared." Michael assured her as he hugged her close.

Jillian felt herself shaking as she could do nothing but remain motionless on Michael's lap, under his hands. Just the fact that Michael was talking about Erin so much this time made Jillian's skin crawl. He clearly wanted to involve her in whatever this was, and Erin was supposed to meet Jillian here any minute now. Jillian had never intended to get any of her friends mixed up in this awful, awful predicament. It was bad enough when it was her own horrible secret. She didn't want Erin to get hurt. This wasn't about her.

"Please let me go..." Jillian whispered, trying both to shrink down away from his hands and to remain calm so she didn't make him mad. She blinked back tears and her voice shook. "Please don't do anything to Erin..."

"Awww, I won't. She's gonna be okay." Michael smiled and moved his hands carefully over Jillian's back, down toward her waist. "Don't cry, Sweetheart. You don't need to be scared. This is gonna be really gentle... It won't hurt."

"Just leave Erin alone." Jillian begged. "If you've gotta do something to me, then do it... But don't do anything to her."

"Relax." Michael laughed. "We're not gonna hurt either one of you. As long as you cooperate, you'll both be fine... So tell me, if you could do any kind of porn, what would it be, Jellybean?" He asked.

Jillian shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Come on, Babe... Answer him." Bryan laughed. "If you had to make porn, what kind would you make? Would you fuck a guy, a girl? Blowjob? Anal? Fingering? Sex toys? Would you rather someone suck on your little tits or would you rather suck somebody else's? If your friend were here and you and she had to fuck, how would you do it? Would you want her licking your pussy or would you lick hers? What would you wanna do?"

Jillian shook her head again and continued avoiding looking at any of them. "Please let me go..." She whimpered.

"I can answer that for you." Michael went on. "You'd make lesbian porn, right? With someone you trust? Probably lots of kissing, a little fingering. You'd have to finger each other. That's what lesbians do, right? What else is there?"

Jillian shook her head again as she shrunk down, trying to ignore the feeling of Michael's hands rubbing up and down her back as she brought her hands up in loose fists toward her lips.

"You know, there's no difference between men and women besides genitals and tits. If you want someone's fingers or mouth fuckin' around with your pussy or your tits, I could do just as well as a girl could. Probably a lot better, really." Michael laughed.

"I don't want you to. I don't want a girl to either." Jillian breathed, feeling herself trembling as she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to make herself as small as possible. "I don't want to do it at all... Please let me go..."

"So how are you gonna say you're gay if you don't want any girls doing anything sexy to you?" Bryan laughed. "Lesbian means you gotta let other girls fuck around with your cunt and tits and stuff."

Jillian shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. She liked girls. She knew that... but she wasn't ready to take things this far. At the most, she felt she might be okay kissing a girl - under her own terms - when she was ready for it - when she knew the other girl was someone she really liked. She was thirteen. She wasn't supposed to want to make graphic lesbian porn.

"So what'll it be, Jellybean? What kinda sex would you choose?" Michael asked again.

"I don't want to do any of it... Please..." Jillian whimpered.

"But you gotta choose, Honey." Michael spoke in a low voice as he ran his hand lower on her back, pulling her even closer and putting his other hand up against her cheek. "I know you're scared of this stuff, and that's understandable... But you know all these body parts were made for sex. You're inexperienced, but your little body will survive it. It might be uncomfortable and scary at first, but you'll get used to it and you'll enjoy it. In some cultures ten and twelve year old girls marry old men... So you can do this."

Jillian shook her head and choked out a soft sob.

"Sorry it took me so long-" Erin's voice spoke as the door opened.

"Erin! Runmmff-" Jillian's attempt to warn Erin to run while she still could was cut off when Michael clamped his hand hard down over her mouth, pulling her back against his body as he wrapped his other arm across her chest to hold her down.

"Still gonna go to the police, Girly?" Richard asked as he held his knife out toward Erin.

"What do you guys want?" Erin whispered, staring between each of the boys, and then toward Jillian.

"Come here." Michael answered.

Erin looked entirely scared as she took several steps toward them. Jillian simply whimpered under Michael's hand as she watched Erin walk closer.

"What you're doing is really serious." Erin started, her voice low, attempted calm, but clearly frightened. "If you just let us go, we won't say anything about any of this... To anyone. Ever." She compromised.

"You won't anyway." Michael laughed. "Or we'll do something worse. We don't want much here Ghost Girl... We just need you and Ghost Tits to put on a sexy little show for us. As much as we'd all love to take a turn with each of you... this time we'll settle for watching you two. As long as you do what you're told, none of us will even touch you. Okay?"

Erin pouted as she stared down at him, then looked toward Jillian. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

Jillian let out a muffled cry and shrunk down as she squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn't okay. She wasn't hurt, but she wasn't okay. She was really scared.

Michael stood up without warning, dragging Jillian up to her feet along with him, and then shoving her roughly so that she stumbled toward Erin.

Erin caught her, immediately wrapping her arms around Jillian's shoulders and hugging her protectively close.

"Kiss her." Bryan called out as he walked around them, holding his phone up to make sure to get whatever view of this he wanted.

Jillian shrunk down against Erin, hiding her face against the older girl's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Erin." She whimpered. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I'm sorry..."

"It's not your fault." Erin assured her, hugging her securely. "You guys need to let us go. Now." Erin demanded.

"Not until we get our show." Richard refused. "I hope I don't have to hurt anybody... but I will if I have to..."

"Kiss her, Ghost Girl." Michael repeated his brother's instructions. "She didn't like it when I did it... You give it a try."

Jillian felt Erin breathing quick, shaking breaths as she held Jillian close, but didn't move or say anything.

"Kiss her, or I will." Michael growled, reaching out toward Jillian's arm and grabbing it.

"No!" Jillian screamed, pulling her arm back and letting out a small sob. Erin hugged her closer.

"If you girls can't fucking listen and follow simple directions, we'll just do it ourselves. I'm gonna want more than a kiss though - and I'm sure my boys will too. You two kiss, or we'll screw both of you. We'll all take turns. You'll have to get through all three of us, and it'll be rough, because we'll be fucking frustrated that you didn't fucking listen to us." Michael growled.

Jillian shrunk down as she blinked back tears and tried to pretend like she wasn't here.

Erin held her firmly and close. "You need to let us go." The older girl spoke in slow, measured words. Her voice betrayed that she was scared, but she was trying to be brave. "We won't tell anyone if you just stop, right now."

"Fine. If you're not gonna kiss her-" Michael started, grabbing at Jillian's arm again.

"No!" Erin gasped, pulling Jillian back.

"Then kiss her." Michael spoke more slowly. "That's your final warning... One more refusal, and it's over... I'm not kidding. You're wearing my patience down fast. Just a kiss, girls. That's it... Otherwise we'll violently fuck you. I mean, come on... I thought the choice would be easy for you..."

"Okay..." Erin finally breathed, rubbing her hand carefully over Jillian's back for a few long seconds before pulling back, putting her hands on the younger girl's upper arms, and leaning down to see her better. "You know I'd never hurt you, right?"

Jillian felt herself shaking as she blinked back tears and nodded. "Yeah..." She whispered.

"They're gonna hurt you if we don't do this, Jillian... I'm so sorry... Is it okay if I kiss you? Just so he won't hurt you..." Erin spoke in a small voice. "Is that okay?"

Jillian's lip trembled as she stared at Erin through a haze of unshed tears.

None of the boys spoke. They didn't laugh or even move. Everyone was completely still, as Jillian stared at Erin, who stared back, waiting for Jillian to confirm she was okay with Erin making this choice for her. They both knew Erin would be far more gentle than any of the boys. They both knew Erin cared about her; the boys didn't. Obviously it would be better to let Erin kiss her to avoid the boys doing something...

Erin put her hands carefully on Jillian's face, staring intently into her eyes. "Is this alright, Jillian?" Erin asked again.

Jillian sniffed, but nodded. If not for Bryan filming them and the other two boys standing in such a threatening manner, a kiss from Erin wouldn't have been scary at all... There were far worse options. Three of them stood right next to them right now.

Jillian closed her eyes as she felt Erin's hands gently brushing a few loose curls out of her eyes and behind her ears. She felt the older girl place one hand lightly against her cheek while the fingers of her other hand rested on the back of her neck. Jillian kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut as Erin's lips brush softly against her own, kissing quickly and gently.

"Aww..." Richard's voice laughed from somewhere to Jillian's left. "That was cute."

"Remember what I taught you about using your tongue, Jellybean?" Michael noted. "Kiss her with tongue."

Jillian's lip trembled and she shrunk down further. She didn't know how far they were going to take this, but last time Richard and Michael did something similar to this, it kept getting worse. Its seemed at first it was just going to be a quick kiss. Then Richard had demanded to touch her breasts too... and Michael had insisted that the kiss be longer and more invasive. She wondered if she hadn't started panicking if they would have taken it even further. Her panic attack seemed to scare them. What if they didn't stop this time? What if they kept demanding more and more, and ended up hurting both her and Erin?

"Why are you doing this?" Erin breathed, her hands still on Jillian's cheek and neck, pulling her slightly closer. Jillian didn't open her eyes. She was too scared.

"Because you girls are kinda hot in a weird way..." Michael laughed. "Who knew lesbian science nerds would get me so excited? Go on. So Rich doesn't have to slit anybody's throat."

"Please just let us go." Jillian whimpered as she blinked her eyes open and stared at Erin. Erin stared back. "We did what you wanted. You said just a kiss, and we did it..."

"We'll let you go after you give each other a real kiss. With tongue." Michael smirked. "That little peck she just did doesn't count as a kiss. You should know that... So do a real kiss. That's all. Just a good, long, french kiss. Then it'll be over. That shouldn't be too hard, hm? I already taught you." He nodded toward Jillian. "And something tells me Ghost Girl is probably pretty freaky sexually. Nobody who thinks a fucking ghost haunted them as a kid isn't into some kinky shit behind closed doors." He laughed.

"You'll let us go after this?" Erin asked.

"Sure." Michael smiled and nodded.

Jillian stared into Erin's eyes. Erin nodded very slightly as her wide eyes stared back. She was silently asking Jillian if she wanted to continue with this in the hope that Michael wasn't lying. That one more kiss would be the end of this.

"Go on." Michael said. "I'm gonna get impatient... If you don't do what I asked pretty soon, I'm gonna just take over and do it myself."

Erin exhaled a shaking breath. "Are you okay, Jillian?" She whispered.

Jillian nodded, closed her eyes, and swallowed. "It's alright. You can do it..." She said in a small voice.

She kept her eyes closed as she felt Erin lean into her again, pressing her lips against hers and opening her mouth sightly. Jillian parted her lips as well. Erin's kiss wasn't forceful like Michael's. Her tongue didn't seem like it was fighting with Jillian's. Erin moved slowly and carefully. Her mouth tasted like watermelon chapstick and sweet tea.

Jillian kept her eyes closed as the kiss continued. She tried to pretend Bryan wasn't standing nearby filming this. She tried to pretend Michael and Richard weren't gawking. If not for the boys forcing this, it would have been kind of nice. Erin was someone Jillian trusted - someone Jillian liked... But kissing with an audience wasn't what Jillian wanted. Being forced to kiss someone she had only met a few days before wasn't what she wanted.

"Very nice, girls." Michael laughed and Jillian felt his hand on her shoulder.

Jillian winced and pulled back away from his hand, which caused her to back slightly away from Erin as well. She noticed Michael had reached for Erin's arm too. He had intended to hold onto both of them.

"Let us go now." Erin growled as she shrugged away from his hand.

Michael smirked. "Not yet. Take off her pants." He nodded toward Jillian.

Jillian felt her shoulders slump as she exhaled and felt unable to inhale again. She couldn't let this progress that far. Letting Erin kiss her even though she was scared and didn't like the boys watching, filming, laughing, and making fun of them had been humiliating, but tolerable. She couldn't do more. It didn't matter that she trusted Erin... She wasn't ready to do that with anyone, whether she liked them or not.

"You said you'd let us go." Erin glared.

"I know..." Michael laughed. "But you gotta show me how two girls fuck each other. I've just been guessing... Going off porn - which I hear isn't very realistic. I wanna see it in real life."

"No." Erin growled. "Let us leave."

"We can do this gently, or we can do it rough." Michael explained. "You do it, or I will. Just reach your little hands down there, slide her pants down her legs, pull down her panties... Maybe have her climb up on the table... you could lay down with her, maybe take off your shirt so she'll have something to do while you're knuckle deep in her little pussy."

Jillian shrunk down and whimpered as she felt Erin put her arm protectively around her shoulders. How were they going to get out of this? Last time Michael and Richard had given her an ultimatum similar to this, it didn't seem like she had a choice. She either did what they said, or would face a much worse option.

She didn't want to do any of that stuff... Erin was kind and gentle, but Jillian wasn't ready to take that far of a step with anyone... And no mater how much she trusted that Erin would be slow and careful, she was too scared. She couldn't do it. She had only known Erin for a few days. She couldn't bear to get undressed in front of the three boys, especially not with Bryan filming it. Just Richard lifting her shirt and bra before had been heartbreaking. She couldn't let them see even more of her body - even more private and intimate parts of her.

"Pretty sure she hasn't had anyone touch her there before." Michael noted. "So you'll get to be the first. Either that, or I will."

Jillian choked out a shaking sob as she hid her face against Erin's collar.

"Come on, Girly." Michael went on. "If I don't see some hot lezzie action pretty soon, I'm gonna assume you guys aren't dykes after all. And if you're not... that means you prefer dick... and we've got three of 'em. I'd love to-"

"Stop." Erin breathed a low growl, pulling Jillian close and hugging her tight.

"Then just pull her pants down - like six inches." Michael laughed. "Put your hand down the front of her panties. Just slide a couple fingers in and see how you like it. This doesn't have to be a like a full orgasm-inducing thing. Doesn't need to be like graphic porn-star shit. She can even keep the panties on. Just stick a few fingers up in her, move 'em around. Experiment a little. I'm really sure she's never had anyone finger her, so I don't expect a whole elaborate thing. Just a little. Test the waters."

"I'm not doing that." Erin persisted, holding Jillian firmly against her chest as the smaller girl kept her face hidden. "She doesn't want to... You can't make us... That's rape - whether you do it, or try to make me do it... That's what it is..."

Jillian shrunk down against Erin as she let out a soft, shaking sob. She was so scared. They weren't going to get out of this. Either Erin was going to be forced to hurt her, or Michael and his friends were going to hurt her worse - probably hurt both of them. It was entirely likely both things would happen even. They'd make Erin do this with the promise that it'd be over after - and then they'd go ahead and hurt them both anyway. Michael's promises meant nothing.

"Listen, Girly..." Michael grabbed Erin's upper arm and pulled her toward himself, leaving Jillian standing nervously by herself. "I don't want to have to get violent and cruel here."

"You're already being cruel." Erin breathed. "Cruel, predatory... You can't force people to do shit like this. It's wrong... Not to mention that she's a freshman and you're already an adult. And that's child porn on your phone, Bryan. If you make us do more, it'll be really graphic child porn. You all belong in prison."

Michael stared down at her with a frown. "Richard can hurt you if you don't fucking watch it." He threatened. "You do remember that we've got a fucking knife, right? He could stab you or slit your throat, right here, right now."

"Do it then. Murder two of your classmates right here inside the school. You better delete that video before the police question you and find it. I'm sure Daddy can help you get away with all of it though." Erin growled, squeezing her hands into fists as she glared up at him.

Jillian gasped as she stared from Erin to Michael, and then glanced quickly at Richard, who still held his knife and was looking kind of mad.

Suddenly, Michael reached out and shoved Erin, hard against her shoulders with both hands. Erin stumbled back with a startled scream, landing against the floor and choking out a pained wince as Michael grabbed at Jillian next, easily dragging her over to one of the lab tables and slamming her back against it.

Jillian choked out a shaking whimper as she shoved her hands against Michael's chest. "Ow! Get off of me!" She screamed, squirming and kicking out as he lifted her up slightly and pushed her onto the table so that she was lying on her back.

"Michael, stop!" Erin's frantic voice begged.

Jillian turned her head to the side in time to see Richard grabbing Erin and dragging her up off the floor. He pulled her back against his chest and pressed his knife threateningly up against her throat.

"Don't!" Jillian screamed, her voice trembling. She thrashed under Michael's grip, trying to pull herself back up to go to Erin's aide. "Richard, please! Don't! Don't hurt h-"

Jillian's voice was cut off when Michael grabbed at her throat, wrapping both hands around her neck and squeezing. She let out a small, strangled noise and closed her eyes tight as she reached up toward his hands, trying and failing to pry them off of her neck.

"I told you I'd like to fuck you while I choke you." Michael whispered as he leaned down close to her and squeezed his hands tighter. "I wasn't gonna really do it... I thought it sounded fun, but I wasn't gonna. Your friend only had to pull down your pants, and your little panties... She just had to slide a couple fingers up in you. That's it. She wouldn't have even had to go in very deep. You know for a fact she'd have been careful with you. But you guys didn't wanna go that route... You didn't want to show me what lesbian sex looks like. So I'll show you what sex with a man looks like instead."

Jillian choked out a tiny sob and struggled uselessly under him. She couldn't breathe - not even a little. His hands were gripping her throat so tight.

"Michael, don't you fucking dare!" Erin growled. "Get off of her! Let her go!"

"Shhh. Shut up. Don't move, bitch, or I'll slit your fucking throat." Richard threatened, pulling Erin closer and pressing his knife threateningly against her neck.

Jillian squeezed her eyes shut tighter as tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt Michael let go of her neck with one hand, but still squeezed the other very firmly. She still couldn't breathe. She couldn't speak.

She felt him put his free hand against the inside of her thigh, pushing her leg to the side so that he stood between her thighs as he leaned down close to her. He was still squeezing her throat as she grabbed desperately at his arm, trying to break free. Michael's hand wandered down toward the top of her pants, unclasping the button and pulling at the zipper.

"Should'a just let your girlfriend do this." Michael whispered. "I'm sure she would have been much more gentle than I'm gonna be..."

Jillian forced her eyes open as she heard a strange, electric buzzing sound. She noticed the lights in the room flicker and heard what almost sounded like lightning, followed by Bryan making a startled noise. She heard a cracking sound - what she guessed was his phone dropping and hitting the floor.

"Ow!" Bryan whined. "My phone!"

Michael glanced toward him and rolled his eyes. "Well, pick it up, idiot."

"It just died... And shocked me." Bryan told him.

"Pick it up." Michael said slower. His grip on Jillian's throat loosened slightly as he turned toward his brother.

"It shocked me!" Bryan complained again. "Like hard. I think it burnt my hand!"

The lights flickered again and the bulb above Jillian and Michael burst loudly, causing Michael to flinch and further loosen his grip on Jillian in the same instant.

Jillian moved her hands to cover her face as she curled in on herself while shards of glass from the light bulb rained down on her. She heard several more light bulbs bursting through the room and felt hands on her arms, dragging her up off the table.

"Let go! Get off of me!" She whimpered, pulling at her arms until she opened her eyes and saw it was Erin who had grabbed her. Jillian let out a relieved breath and grabbed onto Erin's arm, letting the older girl pull her along as they ran out of the room and down the hall.

Jillian felt her breaths frantically filling and emptying from her lungs. Her throat burned. Her eyes were watering. She felt light head and panicked, still scared, in a numb sort of pain. She couldn't even pin-point exactly where she was hurt. She just knew she didn't feel well.

Erin held onto her hand tight as they made their way down the halls, past classrooms, past a few kids chatting obliviously at their lockers. Most people had gone home, and the few who hadn't didn't notice that Erin and Jillian were frantically fleeing. No one noticed anything around here. That, or they didn't care.

Jillian glanced back over her shoulder as she let Erin drag her toward the stairs. None of the boys were following them. They probably wouldn't with other kids in the halls. They couldn't do anything like what they were about to do with witnesses. It was one thing to shove Jillian or grab her too hard in the hallway in front of everyone. Even threatening to throw her over the stairs was something that could be played as a joke. Forcing her an Erin to do sexual things to each other at knife-point wasn't something other kids were going to stand by and watch... She hoped not anyway.

Neither of them spoke until they reached Erin's car. Erin unlocked it and they both jumped in.

"Erin, I'm sorry..." Jillian whimpered, pulling her feet up into the seat and hugging her legs against her chest as she couldn't help but to sob. It was Jillian's fault the boys had targeted Erin too. They would have never bothered her if Jillian hadn't gotten her involved. Erin didn't want to kiss Jillian. She had been forced to, and that wasn't fair. She was probably never going to want to talk to Jillian again.

"It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong." Erin spoke, her voice shaking slightly as she started her car, backed it out of the parking space, and began driving away. Jillian didn't think the boys had followed them, but she was glad Erin wanted out of here as much as she did.

"I got you mixed up in this." Jillian cried. "I didn't want them to do anything to you... This was supposed to just be my problem."

"Jillian, it's alright. It wasn't your fault." Erin insisted.

Jillian hugged her legs tighter against her chest as her sobs only increased in volume. She could barely breathe at this point. Erin liked Kevin. She liked boys, not girls. Michael and his friends had made Erin kiss Jillian, and Erin was probably completely repulsed by it. If Erin would have never made friends with Jillian, that would have never happened to her.

Ever since Erin started talking to Jillian, things from the older girl's past were resurfacing. She had been bullied when she was younger, but had disappeared from everyone's radar. People didn't notice her anymore... But Jillian had ruined that. They were using the nick-name Erin had told her everyone had long-forgotten. Everyone was teasing Erin about the ghost incident from her childhood again. Being friends with Jillian had caused that to come back long after Erin thought it was finally over. Richard had grabbed her and threatened to cut her throat. It was all thanks to Erin standing up for and being nice to Jillian.

It was bad enough that no one would leave her alone, but now anyone who associated with her was becoming a target. The older boys were mean to Abby and Erin. Erin had just been involved in the latest nightmare, and Kevin had gotten possessed by an actual ghost. Jillian unintentionally sabotaged her own life, and now she was doing the same thing to anyone who was nice enough to give her even an ounce of respect or kindness.

"I'm so sorry, Erin..." Jillian whimpered as she sniffed back tears and hid her face in her hands. "I'm sorry they made you do that... I wish I would have never met you. I'm just ruining your life too."

"No, Jillian." Erin sounded like she was frowning. "You're not ruining my life. I'm okay. We're alright. Don't be upset for my sake."

"You didn't want to kiss me, and they made you..." Jillian sobbed. "They filmed us..."

"You didn't want that either... They hurt both of us. It's their fault, not yours. It's not even a little your fault... but we're okay. It was me, Jillian, and it was you... Besides them watching and filming, it wasn't so bad... I trust you, and I hope you trust me too. I'm sorry I had to do that when you weren't ready... You didn't consent to that, and I feel terrible... I didn't know what else to do, but sharing a kiss with you was far from the worst thing I've ever experienced... and Bryan's phone got fried, so the video is most likely gone." Erin assured her. "I'm glad it was me and not them. I'm sorry it happened, but I'm glad I was somewhat in control."

"You're not disgusted? You still want to be my friend even after that?" Jillian stared through her tears as she felt her bottom lip trembling.

"Of course I'm not disgusted. The kiss wasn't the problem, Jillian. Them demanding that we put on a show for them was. I am not and cannot ever be disgusted by you." Erin frowned.

Jillian sniffed and looked across the seat at her. "It wasn't bad? Like, you didn't think I was terrible at it? Or that it was gross?"

"No." Erin frowned. "I mean, forcing people to kiss each other is fucked up... Them making us kiss on their terms while they watched was gross. They're gross. You're not. We're friends... I'd rather kiss you than let Richard or Michael or Bryan do it... If they weren't there and we kissed just for fun or practice or whatever, I wouldn't have hated it. There are far worse things... for me at least. I was mostly scared you'd be upset by it. I don't mind kissing a friend so much... Just the way they forced it, and the way I couldn't really give you much of an option to say no..."

Jillian forced a small smile. "Really?" She sniffed back more tears.

"Yeah. I'm okay. I'm not not upset about the kiss itself, and I'm certainly not upset with you." Erin told her. "Alright? The boys were wrong... But they didn't hurt us, right? Not much... And they barely touched either of us... We'll be okay."

Jillian nodded. She supposed Erin was right. The whole thing was terrifying, but the boys had barely laid a finger on them - not until the end - a little in the beginning in Jillian's case... But they had done far worse to her already. Kissing Erin wasn't the part that was scary. It was knowing the boys were watching and recording it on Bryan's phone. Knowing they might not let them go after. Wondering if they were going to make them do much worse things next.

"We're okay, right?" Erin asked. "You're alright? I know you didn't want to either... I hope you didn't feel like I hurt you or anything. I didn't know what to do. I know I kind of made the choice for us, and I know you didn't want to do it... I just didn't want them to hurt you. I didn't know what they'd do, and at first, it seemed worth the risk to just do what they said. They didn't hurt you before I got there did they?"

Jillian shook her head. "They didn't hurt me... And you're right, it wasn't that bad. They've done worse, and it was you instead of them, and that was an improvement." She laughed nervously as the terror from the incident started to wear off. All that happened was that she had to kiss Erin - and that wasn't bad at all... Especially knowing Erin wasn't disgusted or upset by it...

The boys watching wasn't fun. Richard threatening them with the knife was scary... Michael grabbing her and seeming very much like he was ready to do much worse was terrifying - but he didn't get to follow through. Bryan took a video, but his phone was destroyed. She assumed that was Rex's work, considering the flickering lights and Bryan claiming the phone shocked him. Compared to what they did before, this wasn't that bad.

"They're not doing anything like that again." Erin frowned.

"Yeah." Jillian scoffed and rolled her eyes slightly.

"I'm serious. I'm not going to let them. This ends today. I'm not putting up with this. It's not okay what they did." Erin went on.

Jillian swallowed. "But it wasn't that bad... Like you said..."

"No, it wasn't... But it was. We're not hurt. They made us kiss each other instead of them... But they had no right to make us do that. They had no right to demand more and start getting rough when we wouldn't do it." Erin pouted.

Jillian frowned as she finally looked around and realized Erin was still driving. "Where are we going?" She wondered.

"To the police station. I'm putting an end to this." Erin told her, frowning as she stared back out the windshield.

xxxxxx


	22. Officer J. Allen

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Chapter 22: Officer J. Allen  
Friday: After School

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"We can't go to the police, Erin!" Jillian gasped as soon as her friend suggested it.

"Yes, we can." Erin disagreed. "Enough is enough."

"It wasn't that bad, Erin! It's not worth it! We don't have any real evidence, and Michael and Bryan's dad is a cop!" Jillian reminded her. She could feel her breaths growing frantic in her chest. A thought of reaching for the steering wheel and violently pulling it from Erin's hands to prevent her from taking them there flitted through her mind.

"I don't care. Hopefully we can talk to a different cop... and if not, we'll tell him anyway. You think their dad is gonna be happy they're sexually harassing, sexually assaulting, and beating up girls?" Erin frowned.

"Don't you think maybe it stands to reason that they might have learned this behavior from someone? Like a parent? If Michael and Bryan don't respect women enough to not sexually assault them, why would their dad take it seriously?" Jillian pouted, clenching her hands into fists to keep herself from panicking enough to do something stupid. "He probably taught them to act like this."

"If the first cop doesn't listen, we'll tell another. We'll tell as many as we have to." Erin persisted, pulling her car up against the curb near the police station and putting it into park.

"Oh my god..." Jillian whimpered as she stared through the windshield and down the sidewalk. The police station was right there... Erin was really going to do this... "Erin, please don't tell the cops. Please... You'll just make everything worse!"

"It's already getting worse. You've stayed quiet long enough. We have to do something bigger." Erin told her.

"We don't have evidence!" Jillian felt her voice rising. Was she screaming at this point? She kind of felt like she was. She breathed in and out shaking, frantic breaths, feeling her chest starting to tighten with panic. "It'll be their word against ours, and their dad is a cop, Erin! No evidence, the people investigating already biased in their favor... They're just gonna be more mad and do something worse..."

"No they won't. If there's an investigation, even if we don't win, they won't dare touch us again. Can you imagine? Getting away with sexually assaulting someone with a whole trial and everything, and then doing it again? If we make this into a big thing, even if they aren't ever charged with anything, they're gonna be scared to come near us. That would be the stupidest thing they could do." Erin reached to open her door.

"Erin, wait!" Jillian breathed, reaching out and grabbing Erin's arm as the older girl reached toward her door handle. "They are stupid though. They might really do it again even if they get away with it. They're idiots. It'd be stupid, but they might do it anyway, and if they do, they're gonna be so mad, and do so much worse. What difference will it make if they don't get away with it next time if next time is something more serious? What if they kill us?! If we just stay quiet, they won't escalate... if they do anything else, maybe it'll be small. Maybe they'll feel lucky they got away with this much and tone it down. If that was Rex who stopped them... maybe he'll stop them again next time... or-"

"No. I don't want to wait until next time. I don't want to rely on a ghost who doesn't even like me and seems so possessive of you that it's creepy - and not even ghost-creepy. What if Rex shows up later next time? He sure took a while to step in." Erin frowned.

"Telling the cops is just gonna make them mad." Jillian felt herself shaking slightly.

"They're already mad. They're mad and violent and completely out of control." Erin frowned.

"They could always get worse. What if Richard brings that knife back and kills us?" Jillian stuck her lower lip out. "They could take us to a basement somewhere..." She whispered, remembering their earlier threat when she was up against the stair railing.

"We can't afford to put up with this and hope they won't do worse." Erin went on, her shaking voice rising. "Right now, there's no chance they're gonna stop, and a good chance they'll do worse next time anyway. Have they threatened you with a knife before? Have they ever forced one of your friends to kiss you and filmed it?"

Jillian stuck her lower lip out and shook her head. "I never had friends before..." She whispered.

She saw Erin's shoulders slump as the older girl exhaled. "I'm not trying to be mean or forceful. I don't want to scare you for make you go to the cops when you don't want to. I just feel like this is escalating so far that there's nothing else to do but get help from someone more in charge... If we tell someone, maybe it'll be the end of this... or it'll get worse, like it's going to anyway."

"Maybe-" Jillian started, but was quickly cut off by Erin, who seemed more and more worked up with each passing second.

"Michael had you pinned down to a table, Jillian. He was choking you, unbuttoning your pants." She nodded down, indicating Jillian's pants, which were still undone. Erin had tears in her eyes. "What do you think he would have done if Rex didn't show up and stop him?"

Jillian swallowed and looked down at her lap. "I don't know..." She mumbled.

"Yes you do." Erin frowned. "How much worse can they get? We have to tell someone."

Jillian continued staring at her thighs as tears welled up in her eyes. She knew Erin was right - that the boys were escalating already, and that more, worse things were probably coming. Within a week they had taken minor physical assaults and vulgar threats and taunts all the way to pretty serious sexual assault... and they even filmed it. They weren't going to be happy that they were interrupted either. They weren't finished yet when Rex showed up. She doubted they were just going to forget the whole thing and move on.

Erin exhaled and put her hand lightly on Jillian's shoulder. "I just think we've done the 'stay quiet' thing for long enough. We tried it, and it's not working. There's a time to tell, and it's now."

"I just..." Jillian interrupted herself with a shaky breath.

"I know you're scared... But you're scared of what they'll do already. You didn't tell anyone about the other stuff, and they're already doing terrible things. You only told me about the other time. You stayed quiet on that... and then they hurt you again." Erin explained.

Jillian shook her head. "I didn't stay quiet. That's why they hurt you this time too."

Erin frowned. "If you hadn't told me, they probably would have done a lot worse to you. I'm glad I was there. Their attention was so focused on forcing us to do things to each other that they forgot that they could have really hurt us too. If I weren't there, all of their attention would have been on you. It's good that you told me."

Jillian looked down and blinked back tears. She didn't agree. She wished she hadn't ever gotten Erin involved in this. At least when they were only harassing, threatening, and hurting her, it was entirely up to Jillian what to do about it. She felt sorry for herself, but didn't have to feel guilty for anyone else.

"You and I will stick together through this... I think you should tell them your part of this too - everything that happened when I wasn't there, everything that they did yesterday and any other day. That's not for me to say... But I'm saying my part. I'm not letting them grab me, force me to kiss my friend while they film us, and threaten to stab me when I won't take off your pants and have actual sex with you. I'm not allowing that." Erin explained.

Jillian swallowed, exhaled, and closed her eyes. "Okay." She breathed. Erin was right. They needed to say something. If Rex hadn't stopped them, Michael would have raped her. His brother and friend probably would have too. Erin probably would have fought against Richard - may have gotten stabbed in the process... If they didn't kill Erin, they would have raped her too - maybe killed her after. Maybe killed Jillian after too. If ever there was a time to say enough was enough, now was it.

So Erin climbed out of the driver's seat and walked around to Jillian's side, opening her door and taking her hand to pull her up out of the seat and onto the sidewalk.

Jillian kept her head down as they walked toward the station. She squeezed Erin's hand and felt her own heart pounding wildly in her chest. A very large part of her felt this was a horrible idea. She didn't know if she'd be able to actually talk to the cops. No other adult person she told about anything like this ever made things better. They had only made things stay the same, or turn worse.

"Good afternoon, girls." A cop nodded toward them as he reached the door a few steps ahead, pulling it open and holding it for them.

"Hi." Erin responded flatly.

Jillian glanced quickly up toward him, unable to avoid her eyes running across his name badge, which read 'Officer J. Allen.' Allen was Michael and Bryan's last name. She felt the air leave her lungs as she stared speechlessly up at him, noticing his smirk looked just like Bryan's. His hair was about the same color and style too.

"You okay, Sweetheart?" The officer frowned as he noticed her staring.

Jillian frowned. His eyes were the same as Michael's. The same color. The same shape. His voice sounded kind of like Michael's.

"Can I help you ladies with something?" The cop's brows furrowed.

Erin glanced toward Jillian and seemed to follow her eyes up to the man's name badge. "Um... She's just nervous... We wanted to talk to an officer... About, um..." Erin hesitated.

Jillian felt herself shaking. She didn't want to go in. She didn't want to talk to the cops, especially not this one. This was a bad idea. He'd never believe them, and if he did believe them, he wouldn't care. He'd take his sons' side. Nothing bad would happen to Michael, Bryan, or Richard... But they'd hear about this. And they'd retaliate. If something was ever going to actually get her murdered, this was it.

"About what, Honey?" Allen frowned. "You wanna talk to an officer about what?"

Jillian squeezed Erin's hand harder, reaching her other hand toward it as well and grabbing at the older girl's sleeve, silently begging Erin not to say anything more.

"Is your little friend okay?" Allen wondered. "She looks like she's gonna puke... You alright, Darling?" Allen reached out toward Jillian's face, putting his palm over her jaw and his fingers lightly against her cheek.

Jillian winced and shrunk down. "Don't do that..." She whispered.

"It's okay." Erin spoke in a low voice as she put her hands on Jillian's arms and pulled her back away from the cop. "She's okay... She just doesn't like people getting too close." Erin forced a laugh, seemingly guessing from Allen's lack of boundaries that trying to talk about this to him was going to be a lost cause. "This is my little sister... she's trying to sell Girl Scout cookies. She gets really nervous talking to people; she's really not very social. We're trying to work on it... But she's trying to sell more cookies than she did last year. We thought we'd try the station..." Erin said quickly, all in one breath.

"Oh..." Allen looked back and forth from Erin to Jillian. "We're really not supposed to let people try to sell us stuff in the station."

"Well, that's okay. We understand." Erin forced a smile and started to turn away, grabbing Jillian's arm and pulling her along.

"Hold up, Sweetie..." Allen went on.

Jillian exhaled and closed her eyes as she and Erin turned back around.

"I could buy a box, since little sis here is so darn cute." He smirked down at her as though she was supposed to feel good about that comment... After both of his sons spent every day making unsolicited comments about her appearance.

"Okay." Erin forced a smile. "We'll put your name down... Um... We didn't bring the form. We didn't expect anyone to actually say yes..."

"Alright. James Allen." He nodded. "Thin mints if you've got 'em. You can make it two boxes."

"Great... We'll get the money from you when the cookies come in in a couple weeks." Erin told him.

"What's your names, girls?" Allen asked with a small frown.

"Er-Erica and Mary." Erin answered immediately. "Thanks, sir."

She grabbed Jillian's sleeve and pulled her back toward the car.

"You were right..." Erin whispered as they climbed into the car. "That's easier said than done... He wasn't ever going to believe us... And if he works there and is friends with the other cops, they're not gonna believe us either. Not when they realize who we're accusing... I'm sorry I tried to force you to go to the cops... I just don't know what to do."

"I don't know either." Jillian frowned, looking down at her hands in her lap. "Maybe switch schools. Or drop out." She laughed. "Become a hermit. Nobody can bother you if you live alone out in the woods."

Erin shook her head and exhaled loudly.

Jillian pouted. Erin didn't seem to find the same comfort in a strategically placed sarcastic remark that she did.

"I admire your ability to come up with wild lies and fake names on the fly." Jillian laughed softly.

Erin frowned and closed her eyes. "I don't even remember what I said... When he put his hand on your cheek, I just... He called us like three different pet names within a minute conversation. You're right. His kids had to have learned their behavior from someone. I mean, I don't know the guy. Maybe I'm being unfair. He just creeped me out."

"You were creeped out for a reason, Erin. That feeling doesn't come from nowhere." Jillian told her. Usually little cues like that were pretty telling - like a grown man calling teenage girls 'darling,' 'sweetheart,' or 'sweetie,' remarking about how cute they are, touching their faces without asking or even knowing them...

"I guess so." Erin agreed.

"Are you gonna tell Abby what they did?" Jillian frowned.

Erin shrugged. "I dunno..."

Jillian felt tears stinging her eyes again. She felt so bad for getting Erin involved in this. This was supposed to be Jillian's problem, Jillian's secret... She could see in Erin's eyes that everything that Jillian had been worried about over the past months was surfacing in Erin as well. The older girl was realizing simply telling an adult wasn't a quick fix... that this was more complicated and scary than that... That even telling her own best friend might make things worse. It really wasn't fair.

"Erin... I'm so sorry I dragged you into this..." Jillian shook her head as she stared with large eyes and furrowed brows. "I didn't mean to. I shouldn't have told you about yesterday. I shouldn't have let you guys drive me to school and walk me to my locker... I'm a magnet to trouble and now you're in it too and-"

"I'd rather be involved too than leave you alone in this, Jillian." Erin frowned. "I'm scared to wonder what they would have done if they weren't waiting for me too... If they just had you in there alone - especially if Rex didn't show up and save us... Are you sure you want to get rid of him?"

Jillian shook her head and frowned. "He's dangerous, Erin. I know he saved us this time, but he scares me."

"Why? Just because he's kinda jealous? He didn't ever hurt you, did he?" Erin wondered. "Like, besides shoving us around a little in a scary ghost-way. Maybe I shouldn't give him a pass on that, but it's not that bad a trade off if he's gonna defend you against Michael and his friends."

Jillian shrugged and forced a tight-lipped smile. She didn't want to say anything about Kevin. "I just don't feel good about him - how jealous he gets... How he attacked me and Patty that first night, and threw you against the lockers the other night. I know it seems like he's hardly done anything that bad, but he cares too much about who I'm friends with. He's really jealous and..." She exhaled and looked down with a shrug. "I just don't like it..."

"Okay..." Erin nodded slowly, staring at Jillian with a hint of suspicion in her eyes. She could tell the younger girl wasn't telling the whole story... But Jillian wasn't ready to tell the whole story.

"I hope you didn't think it was super gross when we kissed." Jillian blurted, eager to change the subject, but also still a little worried that Erin wouldn't want to be around her anymore after that.

Erin offered a soft laugh as she reached across the seat and grabbed Jillian up into a hug. "It wasn't. And if you think Rex is dangerous, I believe you. I'll help you get rid of him."

"Really?" Jillian pulled back a bit and looked up into Erin's eyes. "Even though you don't think he's that bad?"

"I trust your judgement." Erin nodded. "You're smart and intuitive. You wouldn't be worried about him without a good reason. If you say he needs to go, he needs to go."

xxxxxx


	23. Rex Marvin

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Chapter 23: Rex Marvin  
Monday: Before School

xxxxxx

The school's library had an entire stash of old newspapers stored on its computer. With the help of Patty, Jillian had spent the entire monday morning before class sorting through them, looking for articles about people named Rex who were associated with the school and who had died.

Fortunately, it wasn't that common of a name, so when they finally found something that seemed to stand out in the way they wanted, it was most likely what they were looking for.

"March 29th, 1958." Patty read. "It's an obituary for Rex Marvin. Says he was forty one years old."

Jillian frowned. For some reason she thought the ghost was a student. Why go on and on about understanding her and about being bullied too... He hadn't moved on since his high school years? High school would have been over half of his life ago before his age at the time of his death.

"Are you sure it's him?" Jillian wondered. "He said he went to school here and was bullied."

"Maybe he was bullied as an adult. It says he was born in Rhode Island and graduated from a high school over there, but worked as a janitor here." Patty stared at her with raised eyebrows.

Jillian leaned over Patty's shoulder and read more of the obituary. "He was struck by lightning. He was raking leaves after school and got struck by lightning. They didn't find him until the next morning. Damn... These articles were really detailed back in the day, huh?"

Patty shrugged. "Maybe the high school kids bullied him while he worked. Maybe that's what he was talking about when he told you he got bullied here."

"I guess..." Jillian frowned, suddenly feeling even more creeped out by the whole thing. The guy couldn't help how old he had been when he died... But why wasn't he bonding with the current janitor, or the weird math teacher who never seemed to talk to the other teachers? Or the lunch lady with the missing teeth - the one all the kids mocked and laughed at? Jillian was a thirteen year old kid. A forty-one year old man - living or dead - shouldn't have really wanted to be friends with her. He was also really preoccupied with his theory that Kevin was interested in her sexually. Rex had flirted with her, forced himself on her - as Kevin... but still... That was him. That was Rex doing those things, whether just to try to scare her or prove a point or not, he did it.

"Hey, Holtzy... You said the lights always flicker when he's around... Maybe it has something to do with electricity. He died by lightning... so... Makes sense... Maybe?" Patty suggested.

Jillian nodded. "It does." She agreed. She looked down at her watch. "Oh shit..." She glanced up at the clock on the wall next to double-check that her watch was accurate. Unfortunately, it was. She was almost late to P.E. "I lost track of time... I've only got one minute..."

"Go. I'll print some of this and close out of all of it. My teacher won't mind me being late. They let seniors do whatever they want around here." Patty laughed.

"Thanks, Patty." Jillian piled up her books and hugged them against her chest as she ran down the hall toward the gym.

The bell rang before she was even half way there. "Damn it..." She muttered, jogging down the stairs and rushing up to her locker. Once again, she was the last person down here. She was such a mess lately. She hoped she didn't end up failing P.E. She'd skipped a grade, and for what? To fail the class where all she was expected to do was walk around?

With an exhale, Jillian piled her books into the little gym locker and pulled her shirt up over her head, throwing it in the locker and pulling her gym t-shirt on. Luckily she had a spare at home, so she didn't have to try to clean the one soaked in toilet water.

She kicked off her shoes and pulled her pants down her legs next, stepping out of them and wadding them up in a ball before tossing them messily into the locker and sliding into her gym shorts. Shoving her shoes into the locker and replacing them with her gym shoes, Jillian tripped slightly over her untied laces.

"God..." She exhaled tiredly, bending down and tying them.

She straightened herself back up and started toward the stairs leading up to the gym but stopped in her tracks when she saw someone standing in the stairway... It was Michael.

Jillian stared at him with her mouth hanging open. This wasn't good.

"I was going to have Alexa and Renee distract you long enough to catch you down here after everybody else, but you made it really easy all on your own." Michael smirked.

Jillian swallowed and took a step back as he started walking down the stairs toward her.

With a small gasp, she turned toward the other set of stairs which would lead up to the hallway and started to run, but as soon as she reached the last row of lockers, Richard stepped out and grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her arms and chest and squeezing her tight against himself.

"Let go!" She demanded, thrashing and kicking.

"Bryan convinced your teacher to let you guys play basketball today. Four different mini-games. Four different hoops. Lots of noise." Michael laughed.

Jillian gritted her teeth together and thrashed her body under Richard's grip.

"Even so..." Michael went on. "You need to not scream. We won't hurt you if you don't scream."

"I don't believe you." Jillian breathed, feeling anger and fear building inside her. "You said that last time, and the time before that, and you hurt me anyway."

"We did not." Richard sounded offended.

"You did... Forcing someone to kiss you and taking off their clothes and touching them when they don't want you to his hurting them. Making two people kiss and saying you'll stab them if they don't is hurting them." Jillian growled. "That's sexual assault... And you're adults." She reminded them.

That clearly made Michael mad, because he stomped his way over to her immediately. Jillian shrunk down back against Richard, for even though she hated his arms around her and his body so close to hers, Michael was the one who presently looked like he was ready to punch her.

"I didn't sexually assault you." Michael growled as he grabbed her chin in his hand and glared down at her. "If you're gonna accuse me of that shit though, maybe I should. I'm getting all the fucking credit for it, so why not?"

Jillian whimpered. "I didn't tell anyone..." She lied.

"You know what, Jellybean? I've been really fucking careful lately. I know I've been rough with you in the past, but I think I've been being a gentleman this past week." Michael began to rant. "I could really hurt you. I could punch you, choke you until you pass out... Break your arm... I'm a lot stronger than you are. If I weren't being careful, if I wasn't being really, really patient with you, you'd be really hurt right now. I could do a lot of damage. You know I could."

"Yeah." Jillian winced.

"Yeah." Michael nodded. "But I haven't. I've been being really kind. Really patient. You make me mad, and I still haven't broken any bones... Haven't hit you, even when you've made me so frustrated that I kind of wanted to. I could have ripped your clothes off and made you have sex with me. I didn't. You've been hiding from me for a damn week. I finally find you, and I just want a kiss. You were freaking out and crying, acting like it was the end of the world, but I just wanted a kiss. That's all. I even teach you how to do it, and I was careful, wasn't I?"

Jillian stared up at him as she breathed in and out shaking, fearful breaths.

"Wasn't I?" He yelled.

She quickly nodded. "Yes." She whispered.

"And when you started panicking and seemed like you were gonna pass out, I was comforting. I was still careful, and I was comforting." Michael told her. "I held you, and told you that you were gonna be okay... I comforted you when you were scared. I didn't have to be nice there, but I was."

Jillian swallowed. That wasn't true. When she was panicking and he was petting her and putting his hand over her heart, it scared her more. It wasn't comforting at all.

"If I wanted to hurt you, I would. I could." Michael reminded her. "I just wanted to have fun with you. And you'd like it too if you let yourself. It was a fucking kiss. Not a violent rape. God..." He shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"You were going to though... When Erin was there..." Jillian whispered. "If the lights going out hadn't distracted you..."

"I was not." Michael scoffed. "I was joking. I was teasing you. I just wanted to watch you and Ghost Girl make out. She wouldn't have hurt you and you know it. I wasn't asking for hardly anything. All you had to do was kiss her and touch each other. You were being a little bitch so I got mad, but I wasn't gonna actually fuck you."

Jillian frowned. She knew that wasn't true. He had grabbed her so hard. He choked her to the point that she couldn't even speak to beg him to stop. He unbuttoned her pants. He was going to do it... That, or he was willing to take pretending really far to make it look real. Either way, it wasn't acceptable. A nineteen year old man wasn't supposed to threaten to or pretend like he was going to rape her... but she did believe he really would have if Rex hadn't shown up when he did.

Michael continued scowling down at her. "I can't fucking believe you're acting like I did something terrible to you. Of all the things I could have done and held back on... And you're acting like I did it anyway. I should just do what I want. There's no reason not to. I can't say I have any sympathy for you here either, Jellybean. I had another girl willing to fuck me, and you punched her face and made her nose all swollen. She was hot and now she looks like a troll."

"Jellyfish is kinda hot in the right light." Richard spoke up, hugging his one arm tighter around her chest while he moved his other hand down to her thigh, running it up her leg. "I love your little gym shorts." He whispered in her ear.

Jillian exhaled a shaking, disgusted breath as she flinched under him and grabbed toward his hand. The PE uniforms they sold to girls had such short shorts. Her mother didn't let her get the boy ones instead. "Let me go." She demanded.

"No." Michael shook his head. "We're not going easy on you this time. We've done enough playing, given you enough free passes. You're getting too bold and I don't like it. Your little girlfriends speaking up and fighting your battles for you? That's not gonna fly anymore. You need to re-learn where you stand around here - who you can challenge, who you need to just listen to without arguing or fighting... You used to be so quiet and scared. You didn't have a team of nerd bitches following you around ready to pounce on anyone who looked at you wrong. You're getting too confident in yourself, little girl. It's gotta stop, here and now."

"She was pretty scared yesterday. I agree that she's getting a little too assertive, but when she's scared enough, she holds still and shuts up. It's her friends who are the problem. They're the ones telling us no. If it was up to Jellybean here, I think she'd have just done what we said. She usually does. You should'a seen her when I had her over the stair railing, Mike. She was clinging to me like a little kitten." Richard mocked. "Weren't you, Babe?"

Jillian whimpered and tried once again to shrug out of his grip.

"When you thought I was gonna throw you down the stairs. Remember? You held onto me like I was your lover." Richard whispered near her ear. "I really liked that."

"Ew..." Jillian shrunk down. "Let me go..."

"She got quiet yesterday after school too. Besides crying... If her friend would have agreed to pull down her pants and finger-fuck her for us, I don't think Jellybean would have done anything. She would have let it happen." Michael guessed, leaning down closer to her and staring into her eyes. "You do know when to shut up sometimes... We gotta make that all the time. And you might want to teach your friends how to shut up too." He smirked.

"Honey, if you just made an effort, you actually might be hot." Richard went on, holding her tight with one arm and reaching up toward her hair with his free hand. "Do you even brush your hair? Or do you just throw it up in a ponytail and call it done?" He asked as his fingers worked within her tangled strands to undo the hair tie she had wrestled them into this morning. "It could be sexy if you let it down and maybe brush it a little."

"That's just what it looks like." She breathed. "I don't have sexy hair... It's in a ponytail because it's unmanageable... I'm not hot or sexy... I'm barely a teenager. I don't look grown up... I hardly have boobs... I'm short... I don't wear the cute skirts and heels. I don't do makeup and hair. I'm not like Bridgette. I don't think I'm what you're into... so go find someone else."

"You don't think we're into you?" Michael laughed. "After all this, you honestly think we're doing this just to be mean? If all I wanted to do was hurt you, I'd beat the shit out of you, Honey. I do think you're kinda hot. Different than Bridgette, but kinda hot in your own weird way. I wouldn't wanna fuck or kiss somebody if I didn't think they were at least a little hot. You do look cute with your hair down, Jellybean." He agreed with a small smirk and nod as Richard brushed her hair down with his fingers. "It's longer than I thought it was. Why do you always want to look like a fucking mess? Just give yourself five minutes to try to look good. You're right. You're young still. You're small, a little chaotic with the hair and clothes... But you've got a cute body, cute face. Nice lips and eyes."

Jillian gritted her teeth together as she tried uselessly to pull herself out of Richard's grip.

"Bridgette's kind of the hottest girl in school, in an obvious way... but after you punched her... not as much. And really, maybe she tries too hard. Not that you shouldn't try a little harder still." Michael laughed. "But she dyes her hair. I can see the roots growing in sometimes. She curls it - it starts looking limp by the end of the day and her hairspray chokes me half the death. She goes through a lot of trouble to have hair like yours. A little less messy, but still blonde curls."

"What's your point?" Jillian breathed.

"My point, Sweetheart, is that you might be an improved version of her." Michael raised his eyebrows. Natural blonde, natural curls. Younger. She's got better tits... but you'll grow some eventually."

Jillian pouted as she tried once again to pull Richard's hands off of her.

"Since you broke her face, I don't know if I wanna fuck her as much... But your face is still more or less okay." Michael laughed.

Jillian swallowed. "It's not... Bridgette punched me. I still have the bruise on my cheek. I don't look good either."

"A bruised cheek looks much better than a swollen nose. If you didn't want me to have to replace my fuck-buddy, you shouldn't have damaged her face. It's only fair that you fill in until her nose looks less disgusting." Michael suggested. "I'm getting tired of her anyway. You know she's pretty slutty. We've had sex probably thirty times, and I wasn't even her first... It's about time I trade her in for someone less loose. God, girl... you're probably so fucking tight."

Jillian stared back and silently shook her head. He wouldn't really force her to do that, would he? He and Richard had threatened to before, but always seemed to stop before the worst part. It seemed like Michael was going to go through with it on Friday for real... But maybe he really was just trying to scare her. Maybe he was still trying to scare her. She assumed they knew actual rape was so much more serious than threats or even lesser degrees of sexual assault like a forced kiss or touch. They knew it would be a greater risk letting themselves take things that far. Even back when they had her all alone and made her take off her shirt and kiss Michael, they clearly didn't want to actually rape her... or they would have. They had a chance in the boys' bathroom, and they didn't take it.

"You know, you really fucked Bridgette over." Richard told her as he ran his fingers carefully through her hair..

"I did not!" Jillian growled. "She and her friends were attacking me! It was self-defense!" She thrashed under Richard's arms as she felt more and more angry about him holding onto her. "Get off of me!" She screamed.

Richard squeezed her tighter against his chest. "You've been pressing your luck... I'm just gonna be blunt here, so we can get on with it. Mike and I are gonna take turns having sex with you. Then it'll be even. We won't bother you after that. You owe us - for what you did to Bridgette. And for your friends being annoying cunts."

Jillian felt her eyes widen as she stared at Michael, who was unbuckling his belt as he smirked at her. She shook her head as she felt chills go through her body and tears collecting in her eyes. Were they serious? They seemed serious. Michael was already getting undressed for it. He was just trying to scare her, right? He wouldn't really... He couldn't...

"You can't..." She breathed, shrinking down against Richard's chest.

"We can." Michael laughed.

"No..." Jillian felt her breaths growing more and more frantic. "Michael, no... I'm only thirteen... I'm not... I can't..." She was having a lot of trouble finding the right words at this point. She felt that cold feeling in her chest and her lungs felt like they weren't working properly again.

"Just relax." Richard whispered near her ear.

"No..." Jillian shrunk down and started to sob as she tried desperately and uselessly to free herself from Richard's grip. "I don't want to... You can't do this. Please..." She cried.

"You'll like it, Jellybean. Don't cry." Michael laughed as he stepped closer, unbuttoning his pants and pulling down the zipper. "We've been teasing this for a long time. Let's just do it, huh? Finally deliver. Show you what all the fuss is about."

"Michael, please!" She sobbed, shrinking down against Richard. "I'm only thirteen..." She repeated again as her breaths grew more and more rapid and she felt more and more like she might pass out. "You can't... I'm thirteen..."

"I know you are, Sweetheart. Lots of thirteen year olds have sex. I had sex with a thirteen year old when I was fourteen. It's totally possible. It won't kill you. It's normal to fuck people when you get this age." Michael laughed. "I won't hurt you. Just calm down."

"No!" Jillian sobbed grabbing against Richard's hands in an effort to free herself. She couldn't let Michael do this.

"Can you manage without me holding her?" Richard asked. "I'd really rather not be that close when you've got your dick out." He laughed.

"I can handle her." Michael answered. "Maybe just turn her around and pull her shorts down for me."

Richard loosened his grip for a second, and Jillian immediately slid her arm out of his hold and slammed her hand up against Michael's nose, just like she had to Bridgette. She had no other choice here.

As soon as she'd hit him, her eyes widened and she stared up at him breathlessly. This time, the punch hurt her palm a lot more than it did last time, and Michael's nose didn't start bleeding. Maybe she hadn't done it at the right angle, or hadn't hit hard enough. He didn't look like he was going to cry and give up. He just looked mad.

"You fucking bitch!" Michael growled, balling his hand into a fist and hitting her hard across her cheek so that she whimpered and stumbled to the side.

Jillian winced as she brought her hand to her face and caught herself against the wall with her other hand.

"I just told you I wasn't going to hurt you, you fucking cunt!" Michael growled, storming after her and grabbing her hard by her arm. "I'm not gonna feel bad about this at all, and I'm not even gonna try to be careful now."

"Don't touch me!" Jillian screamed as she thrashed under his hands. "Get the fuck off of me! Stop!" She knew she had to fight now - and fight hard. Last time, in the bathroom she was too scared to fight, and they had hurt her anyway. She and Erin had done what they said the time after, and they kept demanding more. Cooperating didn't work. Now it seemed the thing she was most scared of was the only option other than fighting back. She had to keep trying. So she squirmed and thrashed as much as she could, kicking and screaming, shoving her hands against Michael as he grabbed harshly at her arms.

"Stupid bitch." Michael breathed as he let go of her so that she fell back against the floor.

Jillian winced as she landed painfully, hitting the back of her head in the process. She whimpered a shaking breath as she started crawling frantically backward. She noticed Richard standing silently a yard or two away by the lockers while Michael closed in on her.

"No!" She screamed as she kicked out toward him.

"Stop fighting!" Michael screamed, clearly livid as he grabbed her upper arm in a hard, bruising hand, pulling her violently up off the floor as she used her other hand to try to pry his fingers off of her.

"Let go!" She cried. His grip was so tight. "Get off of-"

She was cut off when Michael slammed his hand down against the side of her face, causing her vision to swim as she choked out a pained wince. "Shut up. Stop fighting, damn it." He growled.

Jillian felt a sob catch in her throat as she brought both of her hands up toward her face in an effort to shield herself from any further pain.

He pulled her up off the floor by her arm and shoved her roughly toward Richard.

Jillian whimpered as Richard caught her and pushed her very hard face-first up against the row of lockers. She both heard and felt her body bang roughly up against the metal doors as she brought her hands up in front of her in an attempt to push herself away from the cold surface. She squeezed her eyes closed as Richard pushed her harder against the lockers.

Richard leaned heavily against her, pressing her firmly against the lockers as he brushed his fingers through her hair and then held his hand against the back of her head, pinning her firmly in place. "This good, Mike?" He asked, sounding slightly out of breath as he moved one of his hands down toward her shorts. "She's kinda getting me hard already squirming around like this." He laughed, pressing his body up against her as he ran his fingers slowly through her hair.

Jillian gritted her teeth together and struggled under his grip, grabbing toward his hand to keep him from pulling her shorts down as he held her firmly against the lockers.

"Well, you better be able to wait. I'm goin' first." Michael breathed. "And I'm gonna fuck her really, really hard." He whispered as he came up behind her, shoved Richard lightly to the side, and leaned down toward her ear. "I'm not gonna forget that you hit me, bitch... And you're sure as hell never gonna forget what I'm about to do to you."

Jillian choked out a frightened, pained sob as she felt Michael's hands on her waist, running down her sides and putting his thumbs between the waistband of her shorts and her skin. Richard was grabbing at her arms, pinning them against the lockers to keep her from fighting back against Michael.

"I'm gonna assume you're a virgin." Michael breathed. "You certainly act like it. So this might hurt." He laughed.

"Fuck yeah, it's gonna hurt." Richard laughed. "Can you imagine how tight this little bitch is? Thirteen? And she's god damned tiny. Probably not even five feet tall yet. Oh my god, it's gonna fucking hurt... but it'll feel so good for us." He added in a low whisper.

"You'll go to jail, Michael." Jillian breathed sharp, shaking breaths between her sobs. "You're nineteen... You're an adult. So are you." She added to include Richard in this threat as well. "I'm gonna tell everyone. If you do this, I'm not gonna keep quiet anymore. I'll go to the police, and the hospital. There's gonna be evidence, and you're gonna go to jail."

She cried harder when she felt Michael move one hand up from her shorts and around to her neck, wrapping his large hand almost all the way around her throat and squeezing as he leaned in close. "You fucking tell anybody, and I'll do this again. I'll fuck you in every way imaginable. You think this is gonna hurt? You just wait. You keep your fuckin' mouth shut. I can do this so hard you'll need to go to the fucking ER after if you piss me off." He shook her as he continued. She'd clearly struck a nerve with her threat. "Do you understand? You'll have internal fucking bleeding, girly. I don't give a fuck how much I hurt you. If you're gonna tattle on me anyway, I'll just not hold back at all. Maybe I'll choke you while I do it." He added, squeezing her neck tighter so that tears started collecting in her eyes. "Like really choke you - not like before... I was just playing before. I didn't want to do serious damage that time, but if you're gonna tattle on me, why hold back? I'll choke you for real - like verging on fucking killing you. God damn, girl... Going to the cops would be the stupidest fucking thing you could do." He continued squeezing his hand around her neck as he spoke, still shaking her in anger. "I don't need to be rough to enjoy this, but I can be if you make me wanna be."

"Stop..." She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut as she pulled uselessly at her arms still trapped in Richard's hands.

"Why?" Michael breathed, snaking his other hand around and shoving it up under her shirt, pushing her bra up and squeezing her breast as he continued gripping her throat so hard she was starting to wonder if he might actually strangle her to death. "You're gonna tell on me anyway..." He mocked. "Might as well just go for it. I'm going to jail after this, right? So I'm gonna make it fucking hurt." He pawed roughly under her shirt to emphasize this.

"Please stop! I can't breathe..." She whimpered softly, barely able to choke out words past his hard, squeezing hand around her throat.

"Why should I care?" Michael whispered with a small laugh as he squeezed both hands harder.

"I won't tell." She gasped, feeling tears falling down her cheeks.

"Hm?" Michael leaned down closer. "Couldn't hear you, Girly."

Jillian shook her head very slightly and closed her eyes tighter. "I won't tell anyone. I'll keep quiet." She breathed in a voice so small even she could barely hear it.

"No matter what? Richard and I can take turns shoving you up against the lockers and having sex with you and you won't tell?" Michael asked.

Jillian couldn't help but to sob. Of course she wanted to say whatever she could to make this not as awful, but somehow answering yes to that felt like she was allowing it. Like in their minds this would equal consent. She didn't have a choice here - it was get hurt and don't tell, or get hurt a whole hell of a lot worse and do tell.

"Jesus, Hon... Just tell him you'll keep your mouth shut..." Richard laughed. "You want him to fuck you to death? God. We'll be gentle if you just promise not to tattle on us."

Jillian felt her shoulders shaking as she struggled to breathe. Michael's grip wasn't firm enough that she couldn't breathe at all, but she certainly couldn't breathe very well.

"So just promise you won't tell... So we can be nice." Richard repeated. "I don't want to have to hurt you, Babe."

"Okay..." Jillian whispered. "I won't tell..." She felt her lip tremble as fresh sobs worked their way up. She couldn't believe this was happening.

"Oh. Good idea." Michael said in a low whisper, finally loosening his hand around her neck, but not the one roughly groping at her chest. "Now just stay still and quiet and let me have what I want, and we won't have a problem. Well... I guess you don't have to be completely quiet. I wouldn't mind some sexy moaning." He laughed.

Jillian whimpered as she tried to shrink away enough to disappear. "Please don't..." She sobbed. She winced as all the hands on her were holding her so firmly and painfully. "You can't do this... Please..." She cried.

Richard's hands gripped her arms tighter as Jillian squeezed her eyes shut again. She could feel Michael running his hands down her sides and toward her shorts again, sliding his thumbs down like before and gripping the material. "Don't fight back or I'm gonna really hurt you." He threatened. "Just stay calm, and I'll go easy on you. I can go slow and be careful. I realize you haven't done this before, so I'll go slow if you stay calm. You fight back, even a little... And I'm gonna really hurt you. You get that?"

Jillian could feel herself shaking. She couldn't imagine that he wasn't going to hurt her anyway... but she didn't doubt he would make sure to be even more violent and awful if he felt like she'd earned it.

She sobbed as he started to slide her shorts down her thighs and as Richard let go of her arms and took a few steps back. Her arms were free now, but she was scared to use them. She knew she was outmatched here, and Michael had already threatened to hurt her if she tried anything.

"Hold still." Michael threatened as he reached up and grabbed one of her wrists when she started to squirm, pinning it against the wall for a moment before moving back down to her shorts to help his other hand pull the garment down. "Don't fight me or I'll hurt you. I'll even kill you if you make me mad enough. You know I could." He breathed. "There's nothing you can do that won't just make this worse." He reminded her. "So just stay calm. Let me do this..."

Jillian squeezed her eyes shut as she brought her hands up to her face. She knew he was right. She couldn't overpower him. She already tried and it just made him mad. That, and he had his friend here with him, ready to hurt her too if he felt he needed to.

"Please let me go..." She whimpered as she cowered down as much as she could.

"Shhh... You're okay." Michael breathed as he leaned closer.

"Please..." Her voice shook as she pressed herself against the lockers, trying to do anything to distance herself from Michael. "I don't want to do this... I'm scared..." She sobbed.

"Aww." Michael moved one hand up to pet her hair as he pushed the other down her shorts, over her thigh. "I know, Honey... You'll be alright. Just relax. I'll try to be careful as long as you don't piss me off again. Okay?"

She hid her face in her hands and flinched as she felt him yank her shorts and panties down to her knees in one quick motion. Then she felt one of his large hands on her lower back, wrapping around her pelvic bone toward her abdomen and squeezing rather hard as he pushed her t-shirt slightly up. He reached his other hand up toward her neck, holding loosely, maybe wordlessly threatening what would happen if she tried to fight back.

Jillian choked out a terrified, shaking sob as she felt Michael kick her ankle, forcing her legs apart. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, debating whether to give fighting back one last shot, but just when she was losing all hope, something happened. She heard a loud noise and felt Michael's hands let go of her. The lights flickered and the sound of bodies hitting lockers filled the room.

No longer being held up by her attackers, Jillian fell down against the lockers, blinking her eyes open and looking around in confusion as the lights flickered back on. Michael and Richard were both lying perfectly still, and a strange, electric, smoky smell filled the air.

Jillian felt herself shaking as she climbed to her feet and pulled her shorts back up with trembling fingers. The boys weren't moving. They weren't groaning or moaning or otherwise making a single sound. "Rex?" She whispered, looking up and around the room. He didn't respond.

She took a cautious step forward, feeling herself shaking. Richard and Michael still weren't moving. They were lying perfectly still, with their hair looking a little singed. They each had scuffs on their visible skin, grey, smoky marks that looked like they'd crawled down a chimney.

Jillian bit her lip and took several steps back as she stared at her attackers. Were they dead? She wanted them to stop... but she didn't want them dead.

Shaking her head as her breaths became more and more frantic, Jillian turned and rushed up the stairs and toward the library.

xxxxxx


	24. Never Again

xxxxxx

Chapter 24: Never Again  
Monday: First Hour

xxxxxx

"Patty!" Jillian screamed as she shoved open the library doors and looked toward the counter.

"Did you forget something?" Patty asked before she looked up. She was piling books into a stack. "I was just about to go to class-" She stopped herself as she looked up and took in Jillian's appearance, very likely noticing Jillian looked terrified and had obviously been crying. Patty's eyes widened. "Holtzy. What's going on?"

"I think I killed them!" She breathed, bringing her hands up to her mouth and cowering down.

Patty looked nervously around the library. A few kids at computers glanced toward them with raised eyebrows and frowns.

"Let's go talk in the hallway." Patty suggested, putting her hand on Jillian's back and leading her back out the door. "Okay... What happened?" She asked with a frown. "Who do you think you killed?" Her dark eyes were wide and her quiet voice sounded slightly out of breath as she stared down at Jillian, waiting for an explanation.

Jillian swallowed and shook her head. "Richard and Michael. I think they're dead." Her voice trembled as tears filled her eyes. She brought her hands up to her face again and started sobbing. This wasn't what she wanted. If she wanted them dead, she'd have taken Rex up on his offer right when she first met him. Jillian certainly would agree that her bullies deserved a bit of karma dealt to them, but not this. Not death.

"Alright... Hold on... Don't panic..." Patty put her arm around Jillian's shoulders and hugged her tight as she started leading her down the hallway. Jillian kept her face hidden as she continued crying, trusting that Patty would know what to do.

She didn't realize it until the air got colder that Patty had brought her outside. She led Jillian toward a bench and sat her down, kneeling in front of her and putting her hands on Jillian's knees.

"You gotta tell me what happened." Patty demanded in a stern voice. "I'm gonna back you up, okay? I know these assholes have been harassing you, and if you had to do something in self defense, I'll totally back you up. You can count on that. But you gotta tell me what happened."

Jillian breathed in shaking breaths as she stared into Patty's deep brown eyes.

"Did they try to hurt you? Did you do something self defense?" Patty asked. "We've gotta get our story straight. I need to know everything. It was self defense. Anything you did was self defense. I'll back you on that no matter what. Tell me what happened."

"I d-... I don't know..." Jillian stammered. She felt herself trembling.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Patty frowned, grabbing Jillian's hands in her own.

"I'm not sure..." Jillian breathed. "I think they might be dead... but I'm not sure..."

"Baby, what happened? What did you do?" Patty asked again.

"I didn't... Rex did." Jillian finally breathed.

"You think Rex killed them?" Patty frowned.

Jillian felt her lower lip trembling as she silently nodded.

"Okay." Patty looked visibly relieved as she closed her eyes and exhaled. "You gotta tell me the rest of the story though. I'm really fucking confused... Rex killed Richard and Michael? How? How do you know? Did he do this just now? Did other people see? Does it look like it was you who killed them?"

"They were in the locker room." Jillian whimpered, choking back more tears as she looked down and brought her hands up toward her mouth. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks as her lip trembled. "They sneaked down after everyone else had gone to class. It was just me down there... and them... They said they were gonna get Alexa and Renee to distract me so I'd end up alone, but I was late, so I was already alone. They were waiting for me and they-" She stopped herself as a sob choked her up.

Jillian hid her face behind her hands as she failed to keep herself from crying loud, shaking sobs. She wasn't ready to talk about this. She still hadn't told Patty about the other things they did, and this was a major escalation from the other things Patty didn't know about. Michael and Richard were trying to rape her. Sure, they hadn't actually done it, but they were definitely ready to. They weren't just trying to scare her. It wasn't a threat or a joke. They were going to do it this time, and they'd come very close to succeeding. Probably five more seconds would have been all they needed. Michael was so close.

She shivered and whimpered as she bit her lip and shrunk down more, feeling Patty's hands on her arm as the older girl continued speaking, probably asking her followup questions that Jillian was too upset to process. What if Rex hadn't arrived when he did? Jillian would still be down there. Michael would be hurting her, and Richard would be waiting for his turn to do the same.

"Baby, look at me..." Jillian heard Patty's gentle, yet urgent voice as her tears started to die down. "You're okay now... I'm here, and I'm not ever gonna let anyone do anything to you... But you gotta tell me what happened. You gotta talk to me."

Jillian sniffed back tears and moved her hands down away from her face as she tried to prepare herself to tell Patty the rest.

"Holtzy, what did they do?" Patty stared at her with wide, worried eyes.

Jillian swallowed and sniffed back tears as her shaking breaths made her wonder if she'd even be able to get her voice to work enough to explain.

"Did they hurt you, Baby?" Patty furrowed her brow as she took Jillian's hands in her own again.

"No." Jillian answered breathlessly. "Kind of. Well, no..." She stammered. The parts where Michael hit her and grabbed her too hard weren't important. He hadn't hurt her that badly. The sexual parts were what terrified her and made her want to start sobbing all over again. "They didn't hurt me... Not really... Th-they were going to... They were about to..."

Patty swallowed and nodded. "What were they about to do?" She frowned. Jillian could see in the older girl's eyes that Patty already knew the answer to her question. She just wanted it confirmed.

Jillian licked her lips as she stared back at Patty. When she had told Erin about something like this, the older girl had made her regret saying anything almost immediately... But then, Erin did promise not to tell, and she kept that promise. Michael and Richard were dead anyway, so it wasn't like Patty could make things worse.

"Holtzy..." Patty frowned.

"They said they were gonna take turns having sex with me." Jillian stuck her lower lip out as tears filled her eyes again. She brought her hands back up to cover her face as she shrunk down and started sobbing again.

"Okay..." Patty breathed, wrapping her arms around Jillian's shoulders and pulling her close. "But they didn't, right? Rex stopped them?"

"Yeah. They didn't... Rex stopped them." Jillian whispered. "I tried hitting Michael how you told me to - how I did with Bridgette. He got really mad and hit me back. Then he and Richard pinned me against the lockers and Michael started pulling my shorts down. He kicked my legs apart, and he said it would be a lot worse if I fought back, so I didn't know what to do. I was scared to fight back. I wanted him to stop. I didn't want Rex to kill them though..."

"Are you sure they're dead?" Patty asked.

Jillian shrugged. "I dunno. They weren't moving. I think he threw them against the lockers and electrocuted them. Rex said he was gonna prove his loyalty... I got mad at him last time for not stopping them."

"What?" Patty frowned.

Jillian inhaled a sharp breath. She hadn't intended on telling Patty about last time. Of course, it didn't much matter. She'd already told her enough. Patty already knew what Michael and Richard were capable of. Why not just tell her the rest?

Patty continued staring intensely. "Holtzy... Rex didn't stop them from what? What did they do last time?"

Jillian stared back and swallowed. "It was last week, on thursday. I think they were mad because Michael and his brother Bryan were harassing me while I walked to school and Abby yelled at them. Michael and Richard locked me in the boys' bathroom before class and Michael made me kiss him. Then Richard touched me under my shirt. I was really panicked and I was freaking out. Rex showed up after and I asked him why he didn't stop them. He said he didn't know they were hurting me... But later, he said he'd prove himself, and I think that's why he killed them."

Patty frowned. "Why didn't you tell me they did that? I could have helped you."

Jillian looked down. "I didn't want help. Help usually makes things worse. Rex tried to help... and now they're dead, and I didn't want them to die." She felt her lower lip trembling as tears filled her eyes again.

"Okay... Well... Maybe they're not really dead." Patty breathed. "We'll go check. I'll go. You stay out here."

Jillian shook her head. "I want to go too."

Patty frowned as her shoulders slumped. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Jillian nodded. "I want to go too, Patty."

"Fine..." Patty reluctantly agreed. "Let's go."

Jillian held onto Patty's arm as the two of them made their way down the hallway and toward the locker room. As soon as they opened the door leading down, Jillian smelled the familiar burnt hair-smell from before.

She was both relieved and a little frightened when they heard the sound of someone groaning. It seemed at least one of them had lived. She wouldn't have two deaths on her conscience... But maybe they'd be mad and hurt her for this later...

"Hey." Patty growled as she walked up toward Michael, who was pulling himself up to a sitting position up against the lockers. She kicked his foot pretty hard with her own. "You want me to call 911 for you and your piece of shit friend?" She asked.

Michael glared up at her, but seemed too exhausted and in too much pain to retaliate.

Jillian kept her distance, hiding halfway behind a row of lockers and watching silently, letting Patty do the work here.

"You'd have to explain why you're in the fucking little girls' locker room." Patty went on. "And why your pants are half-pulled down."

Richard groaned from a few yards away. "What..." He sounded dazed. "How did that happen? What did that little bitch do? How did she do that?"

"Let's just say you're lucky it wasn't a whole lot worse. That same thing'll happen again - or worse - if you ever fucking touch her again." Patty told him. "Don't ask questions. Just accept that. You're lucky you're fucking alive right now. And if you ever come down to the girls locker room, or touch that little girl ever again, I will personally see to it that your dick gets fucking cut off your body and put in a blender."

Jillian felt her mouth drop open as she continued staring from her hiding place.

Patty reached down and grabbed the front of Michael's shirt, gripping it in a tight fist. "Don't talk to her. Don't even look at her. She's a thirteen year old child. You piece of shit..." She shook her head as she shoved Michael back against the lockers roughly.

"You know what?" Patty went on. "Actually, if you don't leave this school and never come back, I'm going to the police my-fucking-self. I don't ever want to see you again. So you drop out, transfer, kill yourselves. Whatever you need to do so Jillian doesn't have to see your nasty faces ever again. Do it. Or you're gonna wish you were dead. I'm not fucking kidding. I'll beat the shit out of you myself. Don't think I won't."

"Jesus Christ..." Michael breathed. "Okay... I'm sorry... I was just playing."

"No. That's not playing. That's rape." Patty growled, shaking her head. "She's thirteen years old."

"I didn't hurt her-" Michael started.

"Man, if you say anything else to piss me off, I'm gonna kick your fucking teeth in." Patty threatened.

Michael snapped his mouth shut as Richard started wide-eyed at Patty.

"That's what I thought. You better be gone when the girls get done with P.E." Patty scoffed and walked back toward the stairs.

Jillian jogged after her, following her as she walked down the halls. "Where are you going?" She wondered.

Patty shook her head. She looked like she was shaking.

"Patty?" Jillian frowned as the older girl kept walking, finally making her way out the same side-door near the library they had gone out before. "Patty?" Jillian said again, jogging to keep up and then moving in front of her, putting her hands up on Patty's shoulders to get her to stop.

"Holtzy, I'm so fucking mad..." Patty breathed.

"Yeah..." Jillian exhaled. "I can see that... It's okay though. They're not going to do it again. Did you see how scared they looked?" She laughed.

Patty shook her head. "How do you just shrug this shit off, Holtzy?" She stared down at Jillian.

Jillian shrugged. "I dunno... I don't... I mean, it's over... But I'm not saying I'm not still upset. Just... It's over... I can cry about it later. I'm sure I will..." She forced a small laugh. She was kind of too hyped up on adrenaline to continue processing this for the moment.

Patty closed her eyes and exhaled a long breath.

"It's okay, Patty." Jillian frowned, reaching out and grabbing Patty's hands in her own. "They're not gonna do anything like that again. That had to have hurt... Now they know that's what'll happen if they do anything to me. They won't try anything again."

Patty shook her head. "They had no right... and it's bullshit that it took a ghost almost killing them for them to take you seriously and give you basic fucking respect. No means fucking no, Holtzy."

"Yeah." Jillian frowned. "I know... You can't force them to not be assholes... but I guess Rex might have." She laughed nervously.

Patty stuck out her lower lip in a pout as she reached down and carefully brushed some of Jillian's curls back over her shoulder. "Did one of them choke you?" She frowned.

Jillian swallowed and looked down. Patty was already upset. She didn't need more details on this... It would just make her feel worse.

"You've got red marks on your neck." Patty noted, narrowing her eyes and looking harder. "And lighter purple ones... They choked you before too..." She guessed.

"Patty, I'm okay now." Jillian promised, pulling the older girl into a hug.

Patty hugged her back silently for a few seconds before pulling back and looking the younger girl up and down. "Those bruises on your arms the other day in the library were from them, weren't they? They held you down while they kissed you and touched you?"

Jillian stared down at the ground.

"You should have told me. I would have done something." Patty whispered.

"That's why I didn't tell you." Jillian frowned. "Any time I've ever tried to tell a teacher or anybody about this stuff, it only ever made things worse. If you told someone, they would have found out, and they'd have been more mad. They probably would have done the same thing they just tried to do, if not worse. Trying to get them in trouble would have made everything ten times worse."

"It wouldn't have. You should have told me how serious it was. I wouldn't have let it go until someone did something. I'd have personally escorted you to each class if I had to." Patty frowned.

"Well..." Jillian shrugged with a small smirk. "You can escort me to my next one."

Patty exhaled as she stared down at Jillian with a pout on her lips. "They better not ever fucking touch you again."

"I don't think they will." Jillian noted in a small voice. Patty looked so fucking serious, and just hearing her tone and seeing her expression was starting to make Jillian feel worried all over again. Patty was right. This was a big deal... Jillian was really glad it was seemingly over, but Patty was right. Michael and Richard had taken things way, way too far. It had been so scary, and it was still scary. The memories of this weren't going to just go away. Jillian was going to have to live with what they had done. They hadn't done the worst of what they wanted to do, but they did take things really far. Their hands were all over her. Their threats echoed in her mind. They were so close to really, really hurting her.

Patty shook her head and forced a small smile. "I'm sorry, Holtzy. I'm sorry I'm being like this. I'll try to calm down, Baby... They just made me so mad. You're so young, and they're seniors. It's bad enough to do that kind of thing to anybody. You're still a kid."

Jillian stared up at Patty as she chewed on her bottom lip. She was still a kid. She liked to think she was mature and almost grown-up, but compared to eighteen and nineteen year old men, she wasn't grown up at all. She felt her throat getting tight as the memories of what had just happened replayed in her head. "I told them that." She whispered, staring down at the ground. "I was really scared, and I mean, I guess they knew I wasn't their age. They knew... But I reminded them anyway. Maybe a part of me thought they didn't realize and it'd make them stop."

Patty shook her head and frowned.

"But they didn't care." Jillian stared at Patty's feet.

"That's why you should have told someone before." Patty reminded her. "Because those pieces of shit weren't gonna care about anything. Keeping quiet wasn't gonna make them go away. They loved that you kept quiet. They loved that they could say and do terrible things to you, knowing you were too scared to do anything about it."

Jillian looked up at Patty, meeting the older girl's gaze. "I was really scared, Patty." She whispered. "Both times. I might have even been more scared the first time, even though they were gonna do worse things today. I think today I was scared enough that I was mad too. Before it was just fear. I almost passed out. I think I had a panic attack."

"Aww, Baby..." Patty frowned, reaching out and pulling Jillian back into a hug.

"Michael made me kiss him, and he said if I didn't kiss back, he'd make me have sex with him instead... So I tried to kiss back, and then I gave up and just held still while he pushed his gross tongue in my mouth." She felt tears stinging her eyes again as Patty hugged her closer. "Then..." She went on, taking a shaking breath before continuing. "Then I was really freaking out, and my vision looked like smoke was in front of my eyes, and I could barely breathe... They didn't care then either. I thought I was going to faint... And Richard grabbed at my shirt and my bra..." She cut herself off as tears started spilling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Holtzy." Patty spoke in a low voice as she ran her hand through Jillian's loose curls.

Jillian sniffed back tears as she continued. Now that she had started, she kind of felt compelled to tell Patty all the other details. She couldn't keep it all to herself. It was only going to make her feel bad if she didn't say something. "I could barely breathe, and Michael was kinda petting my hair and he had his hand over my heart, whispering something like he was trying to calm me down - like he felt bad... But he didn't make Richard stop. I could barely breathe. I thought I might actually die... And Richard just kept grabbing and squeezing..."

"I'm sure you were terrified, Baby." Patty whispered as she carefully untangled Jillian's hair with her fingers, while still hugging her tight with her other arm. "I wish I could have been there to stop them."

The younger girl inhaled a few shaking breaths as she remained quiet for a moment, remembering what happened on Friday as well. She didn't want to tell Patty that part. Not yet. It wasn't fully her story to tell... She should have known Michael wasn't done. Rex had interrupted him in the middle of what he'd tried to finish today. Of course he wasn't going to just stop... Rex's exploding light bulb and phone-frying trick wasn't enough to scare the boys off. What he did today might though.

"Then today..." Jillian started back up. "They were really gonna do it. They weren't joking... Michael even pulled my shorts down. He put his hand up under my shirt before that too." She inhaled and exhaled a shaking breath. "Michael was really rough. After I hit him, he was so mad. I think he thought I'd just hold still and let him do whatever so he wouldn't hurt me worse, but I was too scared, because I had been compliant for so long and it hadn't done any good lately. I fought back, and he really didn't like it. I told them I was gonna tell people what they did, and they got so mad. That's why Michael started choking me. I thought..." She paused and inhaled a shaking breath as she swallowed back tears. "I thought maybe he really might kill me... Do you think he would have? If I kept fighting back, and Rex didn't come?"

"I don't know..." Patty shook her head. "Luckily we won't have to find out."

Jillian nodded and sniffed back more tears as she felt herself shivering. She didn't know if she could have just held still and let Michael actually do it. He was so close... and maybe her fear could have kept her still... but maybe her fear wouldn't have allowed her to stay still at all. She wasn't sure what she would have done if Rex hadn't shown up... And if she did keep fighting, screaming, kicking... would Michael have killed her?

"You're okay now. That kinda thing isn't gonna happen to you again. If they don't leave this school permanently, I'll make 'em wish they were dead." Patty threatened. "I can go with you to the police, Holtzy. What they did is really serious. This isn't name-calling or a shove or trip in the hallway. It's sexual assault, and you're a minor. They could seriously go to prison."

Jillian shook her head. "How would we explain the electric shock to the cops?"

"We don't have to. We tell the cops Michael and Richard were attacking you. You tell them every single thing they did - how they touched you, made you kiss them, hit and choked you - any and all of it. And then you say they stopped and you don't know why." Patty explained.

"I don't think I want the cops involved... Not with all the ghost stuff and Michael and Bryan's dad being a cop... Besides, I think it's really over this time. They're not going to do anything like that again." Jillian guessed.

"If they do - if you see them even outside of school - if they try to talk to you or anything, you tell me, okay?" Patty urged, pulling out of the hug and putting her hands gently on Jillian's cheeks. Patty looked so concerned as she stared down into Jillian's eyes.

Jillian nodded.

"Do you promise?" Patty asked. "I don't want you scared to say anything if they approach you. If you don't want to go to the cops, that's fine. I can't make you... But you can't let them harass you from here on out. This ended down in the locker room. We're not letting it continue in any shape or form."

"Okay." Jillian agreed. She supposed that made sense. If what Rex did wasn't enough to scare them away, nothing would be, and they really might need to go to the cops.

"Good." Patty forced another smile and put her hands on Jillian's arms, squeezing gently. "But hopefully you're right. Hopefully this is the end of it."

"Now I'm more worried about Rex though." Jillian changed the subject. "He could have killed them."

"I wish he had." Patty noted.

"No you don't." Jillian shook her head. "That's really extreme, and there would have been a whole investigation..."

"They couldn't have pinned that on you. The school probably would have just gotten sued for faulty wiring or something." Patty told her. "Rex saved you from something really awful."

"Only because he wants me to be his friend and only his friend though, Patty. He told me before - he was going to prove his loyalty - so I won't talk to you guys anymore. Only him." Jillian explained. "And now we know he's capable of really hurting someone. He could use that against us - against you, Abby, Erin, or Kevin. He's already thrown most of us around. He's already mad at us."

"Maybe that proves even more that he's an ally." Patty theorized. "He's capable of really hurting someone, but he's just tossed us into things - as like a gentle warning."

"Warning against what? Talking to me?" Jillian frowned.

"I guess we'll have to pay attention - decide if he's dangerous to us or not." Patty exhaled. "In this moment though, I'm really fucking glad he was there." She reached out and wrapped her arms around Jillian, hugging her close.

"Yeah." Jillian closed her eyes as she hugged Patty back. "Me too this time. Thank you for telling them you'd cut their dicks off and kick their teeth in. I really liked that."

Patty hugged her tighter. "I really will. If they ever touch you again."

Jillian smiled. Maybe she should have told Patty about them sooner. She didn't realize the older girl could be so fiercely loyal to someone she just met a few days ago. "And don't think I didn't notice you were totally ready to have my back when you thought I might have murdered someone. I don't know that anyone else would have taken my side so quickly with so little information. Thanks, Patty." She breathed.

Patty let out a small laugh. "You're welcome, Baby. Anytime."

xxxxxx


	25. Let Them Go

xxxxxx

Chapter 25: Let Them Go  
Monday: Sixth Hour Trigonometry

xxxxxx

Jillian didn't see Michael or Richard at all for the rest of the day. Normally they'd linger near her locker or she'd catch them sneaking glances at her during lunch. Today, they were nowhere to be found. She wondered if what Patty had said stuck with them. They knew Jillian had somehow caused them to get very painfully thrown back and shocked. She was sure they couldn't fully understand how it happened, but it did happen... They also knew Patty was really pissed and would beat them up if they did anything else to Jillian. And Patty wasn't a tiny little freshman. She was tall and strong. She probably really could kick their asses if she wanted to - and she clearly wanted to.

Now Jillian was in Trigonometry class, sitting near the back, daydreaming as the last minutes ticked by. Besides for Rex possibly being possessive and jealous in a way that might be dangerous, things were actually looking up. She had had a very tough, interesting week, but she felt more hopeful for her future high school days now than ever. She had four friends - maybe five if she counted Rex. Her bullies were probably terrified of her and might really never bother her again... Things were looking promising.

The class looked up toward the speaker on the wall as it chimed. "Miss Reinbolt." A voice spoke.

"Speaking." The teacher looked up from her paperwork on her desk.

"Could you send Jillian Holtzmann down to the office, please. She can bring her books." The voice continued.

"Sure thing." Miss Reinbolt answered, looking toward Jillian and nodding.

Other kids looked back at Jillian too.

Jillian exhaled and rolled her eyes, slamming her Trig book closed and piling it on top of her others. She hoped this wasn't about Michael and Richard. That would be just her luck - getting expelled because her ghost friend electrocuted two rapists who happened to be popular jocks.

She dragged her feet as she made her way down to the office. The same secretary from before was sitting at the desk.

"Good afternoon." The woman smiled.

"Yeah." Jillian breathed. "What do you guys want?"

"Are you having a better day today?" The secretary's overly cheerful smile was getting on Jillian's nerves already.

"No. I had a really fucking terrible day." Jillian stared, starting to feel extremely defensive. She wasn't sure why they'd called her down here. What if Michael and Richard really did tell them she had done something. Could they blame her for hurting them? Could she be in real, serious legal trouble for this?

"Hon, you need to watch your language." The secretary frowned, clearly no longer caring about how Jillian's day was going. "Mr. Helm wanted to see you. You can sit down for a minute. I'll see if he's free." She said in a very serious tone.

"He might not be free?" Jillian frowned. "He called me down here, but he might not be free? Maybe he should have waited until he had time, because I was busy." She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in the chair. "I'm missing valuable class time."

The secretary laughed and shook her head as she lifted a phone up to her ear and paused. Jillian heard the phone in the next room - Mr. Helm's office - ring. Why couldn't the secretary just yell out to him. He was like twelve feet away.

"Jillian's here." The secretary whispered into the phone, as if Jillian didn't already know who she was calling and why. "Okay. Thanks." She hung up the phone and looked back up toward Jillian. "You can go in."

"Great. Thanks. I'm leaving my books here." She pushed them off of her lap and into the chair she had been sitting in. "Don't let anyone steal 'em."

Jillian walked toward Helm's room, feeling her heart pounding as she tried not to look as nervous as she felt. What if she really was in trouble for the whole Michael and Richard thing? She just realized she'd missed P.E. entirely too... Again. Was Helm going to tell her she had to drop P.E. and take it again next semester to make up for it? She hadn't missed enough classes to fail - at least she didn't think so... This had to be something bigger. It had to be about Michael and Richard. They'd told on her. All this time of them telling her to keep her mouth shut while they hurt her and threatened her, while they sexually assaulted her... and now she was the one who was going to get tattled on? Maybe she'd be in trouble for Bridgette too. What if all of her bullies banded together and spun a story about her being needlessly violent and attacking them?

They were the cool kids - the kids the teachers rooted for. The ones who made the paper when they did well in the sports they played. They were the kids who represented the school as prom kings and queens, homecoming kings and queens, cheerleaders, football players. They weren't going to get in trouble. The kid no one liked was. Of course everyone would take their side over hers.

"Afternoon, Jillian." Mr. Helm wore a very fake-looking smile as he nodded toward the chair opposite his desk.

"Hi." She frowned, staying nervously near the door.

"Have a seat." He nodded toward the chair again.

"Why? What do you want?" She swallowed as she stared wide-eyed at the man.

"Isn't P.E. your first hour class?" Helm furrowed his brow.

Jillian felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. "So? It is... but I didn't... I wasn't..." She stammered. "I wasn't even in P.E. today. I didn't go. I wasn't there..."

"I know." Helm frowned. "You missed class again. I'm well aware of that. Why are you wearing your gym uniform?" He nodded toward her.

Jillian breathed in a small breath and looked down. She was still wearing it. She hadn't ever retrieved her regular clothes. She didn't want to go back into the locker room in case Michael and Richard ended up dying down there or something. Surely if that happened she would have heard something by now though, right? Classes would have been canceled. There'd be police by the gym and crime scene tape. Students would be gossiping about it.

"Sit down at least." Helm gestured toward the chair yet again.

Jillian felt tears stinging her eyes as she started ranting nervously. "I didn't do anything... I wasn't in P.E. today. You can ask the teacher and the other kids. I didn't go near the gym, or the locker room or anything. I wasn't there. I was in the library. Ask Patty Tolan. She works there. She's a senior and she was there too. At the library. Not in the locker room. We were both at the library the whole time. All of first hour. I know it looks like I went to P.E. because the uniform... but... I just... I can wear my P.E. uniform any time I want. My mom paid for it. It's mine... I don't have to go to class and I can still wear it. That's all. I just like to wear it."

Helm stared at her like she was crazy. "Fair enough. Could you please sit?"

Jillian swallowed and sat down, keeping herself on the edge of the seat. It wasn't like she was gonna get up and run. She didn't know what she was planning to do. She didn't want to let herself completely relax in the chair, but she knew she wasn't going to need to fight for her life or anything. Helm wasn't going to physically attack her... He might yell, or tell her the police were coming for her. Maybe she would run if he said that.

"You clearly know why you're here." He frowned.

Jillian stared with wide eyes. She felt like she was going to throw up. Were Richard and Michael pressing charges against her? Could it possibly look like she had attacked them unprovoked? How would she just electrocute them? And they were in the girls' locker room... How could they possibly look innocent?

"I didn't do anything wrong." Jillian whispered, gripping the arm rests of the chair so tight she wondered if she might crush them in her hands.

"Yes you did, Jillian." Helm frowned. "You're in high school now. I know you're young and high school is new and can be overwhelming... But you're expected to follow the same rules as the other kids. If you can't handle it, you need to talk to us - let us know how we can help."

Jillian frowned. She didn't understand what he meant. She was meant to meet the same expectations as everyone else? As in... Not electrocuting bullies? "I don't know..." She hesitated. "What..."

"We have to figure this out." Helm shook his head.

"Figure what out?" Jillian breathed, scooting further toward the edge of the chair, ready to make a run for it the second Helm mentioned anything about police or arrest or jail.

"You've gotta start going to class, Jillian." Helm went on.

"Oh..." Jillian exhaled and sunk down in the chair. "Yeah... Of course. Jesus...That's all. Oh my god." She muttered softly, closing her eyes in relief.

"Wait... Why did you think I called you in here?" Mr. Helm frowned.

"Nothing..." Jillian laughed. "That. I figured it was that."

"Jillian." He frowned. "Did you do something else? You sound like you have a guilty conscience."

"No, I just..." She hesitated, trying to think of something to explain her reaction. "I locked myself in my locker the other day and my friend Patty had to get me out. I thought I'd be in trouble, because you know... it's not a good idea to get in my locker. I thought maybe someone saw..."

"You've got a friend now?" Mr. Helm looked legitimately happy for her.

Jillian felt a smile pulling at her lips as she stared across the desk at the man. Was he really happy about this? Did it matter to him that she'd gone so long without friends.

"Honey, I'm really glad to hear that." He grinned. "Have you got classes with her?"

Jillian shook her head. "No, actually. She's a senior. I did meet a boy in my Chemistry class, and he has P.E. with me too, and I think he might be my friend too."

"That's really great, Jillian." Helm smiled. "More motivation to go to class." He nodded.

"Yeah." She breathed. Now that she probably wouldn't be beaten or raped for talking to him.

"So can I count on you going to your classes from now on?" Mr. Helm tried to look stern, but she could see in his eyes that he was too happy to hear that she had made friends to look as mad as he wanted to.

She nodded. "I think so."

"You mean you know so." Helm corrected.

"I guess." She shrugged.

"Alright. Go ahead. You're a little early for last hour... So you've got time to go to your locker. Put away some of that massive stack of books you're always carrying around." Helm suggested.

"Alright. Thanks." Jillian gave him another smile. He had earned it by looking so happy when she told him about Patty and Kevin. She didn't realize he ever actually cared if she had friends. She always thought he just wanted her to stop trying to play sick in the nurse's office.

She made her way back into the office lobby, grabbing up her books and heading toward her locker. The reason she always carried so many books was because she tried to avoid going to her locker. All the mean kids knew which one was hers and they took turns lingering near it so they could harass her. Maybe that wasn't going to be a problem anymore.

She put away all of her books except her Chemistry one and took her ghost detector off the top shelf, sliding it into her bag next to her Chemistry book. She didn't want the wrong people to see it and think it was a weapon or something. She slung the back pack over her shoulder and headed toward Chemistry, but frowned when she saw a green glow under the girls' bathroom door.

"Jillian." A voice whispered.

She hesitated, but stopped and stared at the door.

"Jillian. I need to talk to you." The voice whispered.

She exhaled and closed her eyes, but went along with it, pushing the door open and slipping inside. "What?" She grumbled.

"Do you like what I did?" Rex asked.

Jillian looked around the bathroom. Everything glowed green. She still couldn't see Rex's actual form though.

"I defended you. They tried to take your dignity. I didn't let them." Rex spoke. "They were going to do terrible things to you. I stopped them. I stopped them twice."

Jillian frowned. "I told you not to do that." She breathed.

"You'd rather I let them rape you?" Rex sounded like he'd be frowning if he were visible.

"Of course not." Jillian pouted. "But you nearly killed them, and I told you not to. There are other ways-"

"I tried a more gentle approach last time." Rex growled. "When they had you and your friend, filming you... I destroyed the phone and created a distraction. I stopped them in a way that was subtle... It didn't work. They came back and tried to hurt you again. I had to be more forceful this time."

"You didn't have to be that forceful. Wh-" Jillian started.

"Well, I'm sorry, Jillian." Rex sounded annoyed as he interrupted her again. "I'm sorry I didn't just ask them nicely not to rape you. I'm sure that would have done the trick. Next time senior boys trap you down in the locker room and threaten to gang rape you, I'll just hang back and ask them what it'd take for them to kindly not. If I can't swing it without violence... I'll just leave it. Let 'em do it. If I ever see two boys grabbing onto you, pulling your pants down, getting ready to rape you, I'll just wait. I'll see if it can be resolved peacefully instead. You're right, Doll. I shouldn't have done anything. They didn't deserve that. Glad to see you have so much empathy for those sweet young boys. They were just going to take turns raping you. No big deal."

Jillian frowned as she felt tears stinging at her eyes. "I just didn't want anyone to get seriously hurt... For a second I thought you killed them."

"I thought you'd be grateful." Rex growled in a breathy voice.

"I am... Just..." Jillian hesitated. She didn't know what she wanted him to do. Maybe under different circumstances, she would have fully agreed with what he did. After all, Patty threatened to kill them, and that didn't bother her. Maybe it was because Rex didn't seem to have the same motive as Patty. Maybe it was because when Patty threatened them, it was for Jillian. When Rex attacked them, it was for himself - so he'd have more control over her - so she would thank him and cling to him. Patty didn't need Jillian to thank her and promise her she'd never love anyone else but Patty. Rex seemed to expect her to agree he was all she needed in the world now.

Jillian couldn't forget about her odd encounter with Kevin on friday either. Kevin hadn't been himself. The green glow and ectoplasm had been present. Maybe Rex was only trying to prove a point and would have never actually made Kevin go through with it, but that was fucking scary... and it wasn't fair to Kevin either. Possessing people without their permission seemed like an incredible invasion of privacy.

"I know who you are." Jillian told him, changing the subject. "You don't have to hide from me anymore. Patty and I did research. You were a janitor here in the 1950s. Rex Marvin." She explained. "So you can show yourself. I found your picture and everything."

Rex didn't say anything else for a moment.

"You had me believing you were my age." Jillian frowned. "I thought you were a student - bullied and tormented like me. You weren't. Well, maybe you were, but not here. You didn't go to high school here. You worked here."

"I saved you from those disgusting boys." Rex's voice growled. "It doesn't matter who I was. It matters who I am. I'm your only friend. Your only ally. Your only protector."

"That's not true." Jillian shook her head. "When Bridgette beat me up, Patty was there to help me. When you beat me up later, she was still there. When Michael and his brother were harassing me when I walked to school, Abby made them stop. When Bridgette and her friends cornered me in the locker room and took my clothes, Erin gave me her sweater. When Bryan shoved me in P.E., Kevin made sure I didn't fall and yelled at him."

"Oh, well, you should know by now what Kevin's motive for defending you was..." Rex breathed.

Jillian scowled at the green aura around the room. "I know that was you too. That was really sick." She continued looking around the space, wishing she could see him. "I knew Kevin wasn't acting right."

"He never acts right." Rex growled.

"He was being weird. Weird for him... And I saw the ectoplasm. I saw that weird glint in his eyes... I saw his whole demeanor change once I hit him. He was confused. He didn't know what had happened, because it wasn't him. It was you. That's really fucked up, Rex... For one, it's not fair that you made him do that... Kevin would have never done that. But also, it was you controlling him - so it was you doing it. Whether you were just trying to scare me or not, it doesn't matter. You attacked me really close to the same way Michael and Richard did. Maybe you had no intent of taking it that far. Maybe you did..."

"That wasn't me." Rex lied. She knew he was lying. She knew for a fact that wasn't Kevin on friday.

"Okay then... So there's another ghost around here, possessing my friends. Making them attack me. While you just so happen to be irrationally jealous of them. That sounds right." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm not jealous of them. I'm concerned for you. They don't have your best interests at heart." Rex persisted.

"Yes they do. They've been here for me during the past week more than anyone else has in my life." Jillian frowned, feeling tears in her eyes as she realized just how lucky she was to have met these four incredible people all within a few days. "I went from no one defending me or caring when I was obviously upset or hurt, to four different people noticing when things were wrong, stepping in whenever they saw someone harassing or hurting me, going back and threatening people who had already hurt me... Telling me I should go to the police or tell teachers because they knew what happened was wrong and they cared enough that they looked like they might cry over it. These people care about me more than I think anyone else ever has..." Her voice was soft by now, as tears threatened to choke her up.

"They do not. Kevin attacked you. He would have raped you if you didn't hit him. Erin would have too. I saw how easily she gave in when those boys told her to kiss you. She was probably only pretending not to want to - so you wouldn't know she was fine with it. She would have done the rest too if the boys would have been more patient." Rex guessed.

Jillian scowled, but didn't know where to look. "How long were you watching that?" She whispered.

"Long enough to think about what to do that wouldn't be too obvious, but that would get you out of there. I should have just killed them all. Including your girlfriend." Rex breathed. "She took advantage of you."

"She didn't." Jillian glared. "You did. You say the senior boys are bad, but you do all the same stuff they do. They made Erin kiss me, tried to make her do other things. You did the same thing with Kevin. They corner me and lock me in places with them. You do that too. They hate that I have friends now, and so do you. My friends are there for me. They help me and defend me. You cannot convince me that they're using me because they aren't. They'd do anything to help me."

"And when Michael and Richard were three seconds away from violently raping you, I nearly fucking killed them." Rex growled. "Your so called friends can be there every day to wipe away your tears after you're already hurt. I did better. I kept them from hurting you in the first place. Maybe they'll kiss you so the boys won't. Maybe they'll give you their sweater or walk with you. Give you rides home... I will kill for you, Jillian. I will literally kill somebody for your sake - so you'll be safe. I'd do that for you, and you don't appreciate it."

Jillian swallowed. Rex sounded really mad.

"I care about you more than any of them ever could!" Rex's voice increased in volume as the lights flickered rapidly.

Jillian felt her breaths quicken as her heart pounded in her chest. She inched toward the door, but heard it lock before she could open it.

"I don't want to hurt you, Jillian. I really love you. I love you and care for you more than anyone else in the world ever could." He went on, sounding more and more angry by the second. "But I didn't rescue you from those vulgar brutes just so you can go off and thank Patty for it. She didn't save you. I did. Sure, she went down and yelled at them after the fact. That's easy. She was mad - maybe because they got to touch you before she did. If you had relied solely on her, those boys would have taken turns raping you. Michael would have torn your clothes off of you, held you down, and raped you. Then Richard would have done the same. Maybe Michael would have even gone again after. You do realize they were really going to do it this time, right?"

Jillian's lip trembled as she stared breathlessly into the empty bathroom. Of course she realized that. "You shouldn't help people just because you want something from them. You say my friends are using me, but I think you are. They don't demand that I pick one of them and don't talk to the others."

"Then I should have left it to them then." Rex growled. All the stall doors suddenly swung open and closed, making a loud series of banging noises as Jillian shrunk down. "I should have been more like Patty, and Erin." He said, his voice dripping with jealously as he said their names. "And Abby and Kevin. I should have done what they did. They knew what the other kids might do, and they sent you off on your own anyway. I should have done that too. Just let you come crying to me after. But you wouldn't have. You'd have cried to them instead, and let them hug you and make it better, pretend like they care even though they let it happen. You clearly don't appreciate me." He guessed.

"That's not true..." She shook her head. "I'm very glad you stepped in. I was really scared... I didn't want it to be so violent, but of course I'm glad you did something. I appreciate you... But I don't want to give up my other friends."

"They aren't your friends!" Rex screamed, somehow turning all the faucets in the sinks on at the same time. With the very high pressure of the faucets, water was spraying and splashing over the sides of the basin. "If you can't let them go, maybe I'll have to."

"What?" Jillian breathed.

"I will let them go." Rex whispered, and the green glow disappeared.

"What does that mean?" Jillian yelled as she heard the door unlock behind her. She looked around the bathroom. It was entirely quiet now, aside from the sinks which were all still running.

"Rex?" She called out. He didn't answer.

She didn't know for sure what Rex was implying, but she had a pretty good idea.

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	26. Ghost Zapper's Debut

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Chapter 26: Ghost Zapper's Debut  
Monday: After School

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Jillian spent the entire hour in Chemistry working on converting her ghost detector into a ghost-zapper. She constructed it kind of like a vacuum, using parts of an actual vacuum, and ignoring stares from her classmates as she tested it on both an inorganic subject and an organic subject. When she got that part right, she tested it on part of the ectoplasm sample she'd collected from Erin's shirt.

She found that other objects simply got sucked toward the machine, while the ectoplasm burst into tiny particles after about four seconds. She supposed that would work. As long as it got rid of Rex.

All the while, Kevin had looked on with interest, but had asked very few questions. When he asked what she was making, she'd replied simply. "Ghost Zapper." When asked why, she replied simply again: "To bust a stalker-ghost's ass." He didn't really question her any further, but he did ask if there was anything he could to to help.

She had asked him to text Erin and ask her if she could stay after school to go ghost busting tonight. She told him to tell her that her ghost-busting-device would be complete soon and to pass the message along to Abby and Patty that they were going to settle this tonight.

She had no idea how much Kevin had screwed up that message until the girls met her at her locker after school.

"Kevin said something about you wanting to settle a score between the four of us and a ghost and busting ass... or something?" Abby frowned as Jillian approached them.

Jillian smiled. "I think I got my ghost-zapper to work." She informed them. "We're getting rid of Rex tonight."

"Are you sure that's necessary?" Patty frowned. "He helped you..."

Erin frowned. "He helped you... like... more recently than..." She trailed off.

"Yeah." Jillian swallowed nervously, wondering if Erin wanted to share what the boys had done to her and Jillian with the rest of the group. Jillian figured it was half Erin's story to tell too, and Jillian didn't want to bring it up if Erin didn't. "He helped me today." She answered.

"What did he do?" Erin wondered.

Jillian inhaled nervously, but she figured Erin already knew Michael and Richard were bad news... Abby knew too... And they probably weren't going to be a problem anymore anyway, so it wasn't like they'd have to consider going to the cops for real. Rex's defensive gesture very likely scared them away for good. If it didn't, Patty's threats probably did. "You can tell them, Patty." She finally decided and looked down at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone.

"Those two senior boys who've been bothering Holtzy cornered her in the locker room and tried to assault her... Rex electrocuted them." Patty explained.

"Oh my god... Holtzy, are you okay?" Abby frowned, putting her hand lightly on Jillian's shoulder.

"Yeah. Rex stopped them. They didn't really hurt me. They were going to, but he stopped them. And Patty told them she'd kick their teeth in and cut off their dicks if they did it again." Jillian added.

Abby looked toward Patty with raised eyebrows.

"I did say that... I was really mad." Patty admitted. "Anyway, Rex saved her... He threw them off of her and electrocuted them - like in a pretty significant way. They were smudged up and crispy - clearly in pain when I went down there like five minutes later. He didn't kill them, but he hurt them. Enough that they're probably not going to bother her again. Rex did that... And now she wants to zap him. She thinks he's being too clingy and jealous, but he totally saved her, in a big way."

"But it's more complicated than that." Jillian frowned, still staring at the ground. "He's helped me, but he's scary and creepy too. It's not just about helping me. It's about controlling me and keeping me to himself. He doesn't want me to hang out with you guys."

"But stopping Richard and Michael was a big deal." Patty went on. "That was a huge problem, and he single handedly fixed it. Are you sure whatever possessive creepy stuff he's done is a big enough deal to get rid of him when he did such a big thing to help?"

"I think Jillian would know before we would." Erin defended Jillian's choice. "She's the only one who's really talked with him. If she thinks he's creepy, there's a good reason for it. We've got to trust her judgement. She's the only one who really knows this ghost well enough to make that kind of judgement of his character."

"But Michael and Richard would have really hurt her..." Patty frowned. "Rex stopped them."

Erin frowned and glanced toward Jillian with furrowed brows. "There was another thing..." She said in a small voice. "Not that Rex isn't still a problem... just... Can I tell them?" She asked.

Jillian nodded and stared back at the floor, counting the tiles as Erin went on.

"On Friday, Richard, Michael, and Bryan cornered Jillian and me in one of the science rooms. They made us kiss... Wanted us to do more. We wouldn't do it and Michael got mad, started choking Jillian..." Erin shook her head and exhaled. "He was making terrible, vulgar threats... Richard had a knife and said he'd kill me if I tried to help her. Then the lights started flickering and the bulbs exploded. It was a big enough distraction for us to escape."

"Baby, are you sure you don't want to go to the cops?" Patty frowned. "You too, Erin... That's messed up... Maybe Rex electrocuting them won't be enough to stop them. They've been really persistent..."

Jillian shook her head. "Michael and Bryan's dad is a cop. Erin and I almost went to the cops on Friday. We went to the station, but Michael's dad was the first cop we talked to and we just couldn't... I think getting fried and thrown into the lockers might have done the trick though." She guessed.

"And you still want to zap Rex. Even after he did that for you... and helped you and Erin on Friday?" Patty raised her eyebrows.

"Rex locked me in the bathroom before last hour and told me if I couldn't let you guys go, he'd have to. So interpret that however you want." Jillian crossed her arms over her chest. "He doesn't want me to have any friends but him, and I think he might hurt you guys - maybe even kill you if I keep talking to you. Clearly he's capable of doing real damage, and he doesn't like you. He doesn't like any of you. Or Kevin. He reiterates that all the time. We should get rid of him before he gets rid of you guys."

Erin stared with her mouth slightly open. "He really said that? Just because we're your friends?"

"Exactly. That's why we've got to get rid of him." Jillian explained. "And I don't think he saved me from Michael and Richard because he cares about me. He did it because he wants me to feel like I need him - and like I don't need anyone else. He all but said it. And I'm 100% sure when Kevin attacked me on Friday, it was because Rex had possessed him."

"Kevin attacked you?" Erin's eyes were wide.

"Yeah, but it wasn't him. I'm sure of it." Jillian went on, grimacing when she noticed Patty staring nervously toward her as well. She forgot that she hadn't mentioned this to anyone but Abby. She supposed it was good that the others seemed shocked by this reveal though. That meant Abby had kept her promise and didn't tell anyone. Maybe it was good that she'd let it slip though. Maybe now was a good time to get everything out in the open and be completely honest about why she wanted Rex gone.

"What happened? You didn't tell me about this..." Patty frowned.

Jillian shook her head. "It wasn't a big deal. Rex possessed him and followed me downstairs. I didn't know he was possessed. Kevin's kinda weird on a normal day, so it took me a minute to realize something was wrong... Rex has been saying Kevin's not really my friend and that he wants... like sex stuff... and that's the only reason he talks to me - that and our Chemistry grade... Anyway, I think Rex wanted to prove to me that Kevin's bad by having Kevin attack me... It hardly got rough... Just a little forceful... I think he was trying to be in-character but also asking for and demanding things Kevin wouldn't have ever done. He didn't get that far. He didn't do anything nearly as bad as..." She trailed off, realizing she hadn't communicated all the details of Michael and Richard's attacks to everyone present now, and she certainly didn't want to. "Anyway, I got scared and hit him and I think it knocked the ghost out of him... and he stopped."

"Jesus..." Patty whispered.

"Poor Kevin was confused. He thought he was sleep walking and that I hit him to wake him up. I didn't tell him about what Rex made him do. It wasn't that bad and I didn't think he needed to know." Jillian shrugged. "It wasn't him. It was Rex. There was even ectoplasm on him after. It was obvious. Rex denies it, but it was obvious."

"Do you think Rex would have made him..." Erin grimaced. "If you didn't hit him..."

Jillian shook her head. "I hope not... But I couldn't say for sure. It's just another reason we've gotta get rid of him. Whether he really meant it or not, that's a really fucked up thing to do to someone you claim to be friends with."

"Yeah." Patty whispered, still staring with wide eyes. "Shit, Holtzy... I didn't know about that part... I hope he was just trying to scare you, but either way, that's messed up."

"This whole thing started with him offering to be my friend. At the time, I had no one else, and I think he wanted it to stay that way. I met you guys, and he sees that I'm not alone anymore. He wants to be my only ally, and I doubt he's opposed to being violent to make that happen."

"Well... I guess we better go find him then." Abby suggested. "You guys ready?" She looked between the others.

"I am." Jillian answered. "I'm sick of him. I bet he wouldn't have even stopped Michael and Richard if you guys weren't in the equation. He wouldn't have had to. He would have probably loved it if they hurt me and I ran to him after." She pouted.

"Alright. So you converted your detector into a zapper... Does it still detect?" Erin wondered.

"Yeah." Jillian nodded. "It's both now."

Abby looked over Jillian's shoulder at the device in her hands. "You did all this in Chemistry class?" She asked, looking up into Jillian's eyes. She looked so impressed.

Jillian smiled and nodded.

"That's so cool. Way to go, Holtzy." Abby nudged her against her arm. "I'm so fucking proud of you."

"Thanks." Jillian grinned, flipping the detector on and holding it up as she read the proximity meter. "Ooh. That's far..."

"Let's follow it and see where it goes." Patty shrugged.

"It's registering as really strong already." Erin noted, nodding toward the other meter.

"He's probably pissed." Jillian noted. "He was earlier today. I thought he might attack me when he talked to me last time. He sounded like he was thinking about it."

Abby grimaced. "Well... Let's make sure we all stick together. I don't want him cornering any of us."

They followed the meter down the halls as the number on the proximity screen slowly decreased. By the time the number reached numbers in the twenties, it became pretty obvious where Rex was hanging out - in the gym.

"That's a really open space." Erin whispered. "I figured he'd lure us somewhere confined, so he could separate us between doors like he did before."

Jillian shrugged. It didn't matter. They were going to bust his ass no matter where he was.

Jillian reached for the door, but stopped when she felt Patty's hand on her collar, holding her back. She glanced up at Patty

"Hold up a minute, Holtzy... Let's make sure we all get through the door fast so he can't close half of us out." Patty suggested.

Jillian nodded, reaching back toward the door and pulling the handle. They all jumped in quickly, and made various shocked noises as they all noticed at the same time that the entire gym was filled with the eerie green glow from before.

Before any of them had even a second to start considering what to do next, dozens of basketballs started flying off a long rack of them lined up near the wall.

Jillian winced and stumbled back as a ball hurled into her ribs. Rex was throwing them hard. She held one arm over her face as she gripped her ghost zapper protectively down against her side and ran to the left to avoid more basketballs raining down on her.

"You guys okay?" Patty's voice yelled out as the sound of bouncing basketballs slowly died down once they had all been thrown.

"Yeah." Erin breathed from several yards away.

Jillian frowned as she looked around the gym and noticed Rex throwing the balls may have been not an effort to hurt them, but to separate them. They had all run off different directions to avoid being hit, and no one one was near anyone else anymore.

"I'm okay! I-" Abby was cut off as a tendril of green light curled out and snatched her arm, slamming her roughly backward against the bleachers, which were fortunately pulled in, so it was more like she hit a wall rather than uneven steps.

"Abby!" Jillian called out, rushing toward her, but some force knocked her back before she could get there.

Jillian landed with a pained wince as all the air was knocked out of her lungs. She coughed painfully and blinked as she looked up at the green glowing energy all around her. Her ghost detector was beeping wildly and the strength meter was measuring so high it looked like it might explode. She held it up and flipped the switch to suck in / vaporize a ghost. She wasn't entirely sure which it would do since the ectoplasm as a control wasn't fool proof. A ghost and ectoplasm weren't quite the same thing. She didn't care that she couldn't actually see Rex. She was just going to start aiming it wildly all around herself and hope for the best.

But as she held the device up, a green glowing form she could almost swear looked like an arm and hand complete with sharp claws at the ends of its fingers swung down at her, knocking harshly into her arms.

Jillian cried out in pain as her ghost-zapper few out of her hands and skittered across the gym floor. She started crawling toward it, but something grabbed at her ankle and pulled her back.

"Somebody get it!" Jillian screamed, but looked around the room and noticed Patty was on the ground all the way across the gym, and Abby was still lying out of breath by the bleachers. "Let go of me!" She screamed as she kicked out and tried to get a grip against the smooth gym floor while Rex pulled her further back by her ankle.

When he finally stopped pulling her across the floor, Jillian rolled over onto her back and glanced quickly around the room, trying to determine if her friends were alright and if any of them were in a position to help.

Only Erin was still up. Maybe Rex didn't notice... Jillian had to keep his attention so Erin could get to the ghost zapper without Rex realizing it.

"Rex!" Jillian growled, ignoring the fact that her heart was pounding wildly against her ribs and her breaths were erratic. "You jealous, possessive asshole!"

"I would have done anything for you, Jillian..." Rex spoke in a low, almost whispering voice as a man-shaped glowing figure slowly materialized in front of her.

Jillian inhaled a sharp breath as she crawled slightly backward. Rex's ghostly figure followed. He looked like the photo she'd seen in the newspaper, but a little more tired, and a lot taller. Ghosts must have had the power to make themselves seem larger than they were when alive, because she was certain this guy wasn't ten feet tall in life. He also just looked scarier than a normal human. His teeth looked almost pointed, his hands seemed clawed, and his face looked almost monstrous.

"I was your friend when you had no one else." Rex reminded her. "You said you needed a friend, and I was there. I would have helped you with your tormentors long before I did if you'd have only let me. I would have done whatever you needed me to so that you'd feel happy and safe. You had no one on your side, and I was going to fill that void."

"I know..." Jillian breathed, feeling tears in her eyes. "I was so happy that day..." And she truly had been. Finally making a friend - even a ghost - was a big deal to her. Rex had seemed great at first, like a dream come true.

"Then why did you cheat me. Why did you throw away what I had given to you?" Rex breathed, stepping even closer.

Jillian glanced behind Rex, where Erin was slowly inching along the wall, toward the ghost zapper.

"I didn't! I wanted to keep being your friend, but you couldn't let me have other friends too. That's not fair." Jillian pouted. "I appreciate everything you did for me. You were my friend when everyone else ignored me, didn't notice me, or were actively cruel to me... That meant so much to me. I needed it. You have no idea how much I needed it... But the second I made another friend, you started getting angry, jealous... I felt scared of you."

"Maybe you were right to be." Rex spoke in a low whisper.

"What do you mean?" Jillian inhaled as she crawled back further, shrinking down as Rex took another step and bent down, hovering pretty close.

"There's too much competition among the living. I didn't think it was possible, but you've become popular among a certain subset of your peers. So quickly. Within a week. No friends, to four... And they are so fiercely loyal and protective of you. They're good friends. They're the friends you needed all along. You didn't have to prove a thing to them. They saw you needed help, and they gave it freely. They were to you what I wanted to be, only they're living and I'm not. For some reason that I can only guess is the fact that they remain living, you're more receptive to their friendship. You look up to them, and not to me."

Jillian swallowed nervously as she stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Maybe because they are your peers. They're like you. Maybe if you weren't alive..." He trailed off.

Jillian let out a soft gasp as she stared up at him. Was he honestly suggesting that he wanted to kill her so she'd be a ghost too? Did he think she'd be his ghost-friend after that? She felt her lips forming into a pout as tears stung at her eyes. There's no way she'd be his friend if he killed her.

"I thought you cared about me." Jillian frowned. "That first day - you said you wanted to be my friend. I thought you actually cared."

"I did. I do." Rex whispered.

"Then why would you threaten to kill me?" Jillian breathed, shaking her head slightly.

"I don't think you realize what your death would mean. It's not a cold, dreadful existence. Being dead isn't bad, isn't painful. Not after the fact. It's different, but it's tolerable, and would be even more so if we experienced it together." Rex explained.

Her eyes darted toward Erin again. She was almost there. Just a few more steps. She looked back up toward Rex as he continued. She only needed to distract him for a few more seconds - assuming Erin knew how to work her ghost-zapper. She supposed she never properly explained it.

"So I think I'll have you join me." Rex smiled an over sized grin, complete with crooked, pointed teeth as he raised a clawed hand up high above his head and prepared to swing down.

"Rex wait!" Jillian screamed as she cowered down. She held her breath as he paused, keeping his impossibly long ghost arm raised up and ready to strike. She didn't know if a clawed ghost hand hitting her would kill her or what... but she didn't want to find out. "Rex... You were right... They're all trying to use me. I can see that now. Erin just wanted to use my ghost-zapper. She wanted to aim it at you, flip the switch on the side... wait for the green light... and pull the trigger."

"What?" Rex frowned, slowly starting to turn toward where her ghost-zapper had fallen.

"Erin now!" Jillian screamed, raising her arms up over her face and cowering down.

She held her breath as she heard the sound of her ghost-zapper charging. She looked over in time to see Erin scowling as she held the device up in front of her like a gun. Jillian could see the green light flip on as Erin pulled the trigger.

Jillian looked up at Rex as he started swinging his clawed hand toward her. "You ungrateful little-"

He was stopped mid-sentence as Jillian's ghost-zapper worked just as she hoped it would and he exploded in a cloud of green sparkling dust which then rained down while seemingly dissolving into thin air in the same instant.

Jillian exhaled as she stared up at the empty space Rex had formerly occupied.

"Are you okay!?" Erin breathed as she ran up and dragged Jillian off the floor.

"Yeah." Jillian wrapped her arms around Erin and squeezed her tight. "It worked! You did it, Erin! It worked!" She pulled back and scanned the gym for Abby and Patty. "Are you guys okay?" She yelled, heading toward Patty while Erin went for Abby.

Jillian pulled Patty to her feet while Erin retrieved Abby.

"I'm okay." Jillian heard Abby breathe from across the gym. "He knocked the breath out of me... I'm alright."

Jillian looked up at Patty. "You alright?"

Patty nodded. "He tripped me and I think he was somehow holding me down even when he was across the gym talking to you... Shit... I have no clue how ghosts work... Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Jillian smiled. "He barely got me... I'm okay."

"Holy shit... That was awesome, Holtzy. I can't believe that thing worked..." Patty breathed. "I honestly didn't think it would. And you were right... I'm sorry I doubted you about Rex. He helped you, but for the wrong reason. You were right. He was crazy..."

Jillian wrapped her arms around Patty's waist and pulled her into a hug as Abby and Erin ran up to meet them. Jillian felt the other two girls wrapping their arms around the two of them too, forming a giant group-hug.

"Let's do that again sometime!" Abby suggested. "That was awesome!"

"He slammed you into the bleachers, Abby." Patty noted with furrowed brows and a frown.

"I don't care. Next time I want my own ghost-zapper. You think you could make more of those, Holtzy?" Abby wondered as the girls pulled back out of the group-hug.

"I'm sure I could." Jillian shrugged. "I'll improve that first one, and make three more. Shouldn't be hard."

"Better make it two more. I don't think I'll need one..." Patty laughed.

Jillian narrowed her eyes and smiled. "I'll make you one anyway."

"No..." Patty shook her head. "I won't use it, Baby. Don't make me one."

"I'll make it just in case." Jillian persisted as they started making their way out of the gym.

"Holtzy, no." Patty insisted.

"You don't have to use it... I'll just make it anyway. Calm down, Patty." Jillian laughed.

Patty exhaled and rolled her eyes. "I'm not using it though."

"Whatever you say. Time may tell a different story." Jillian shrugged, picking up the ghost-zapper Erin had dropped and hugging it against her chest. She held it up and kissed it. It might have just solved the last of her series of very big problems at the high school.

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	27. Ghost Tits and Ghost Girl's Paranormal Experiences Club

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not getting much of a response from this anymore so I've just uploaded all of the rest of the chapters without a final read-through. I edited it to death way back when, so there probably aren't too many glaring errors. Chapter 18 and on are new if you happened to be eagerly awaiting new chapters and feel lost right now.

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Chapter 27: Ghost Tits and Ghost Girl's Paranormal Experiences Club  
Tuesday: Before School

xxxxxx

On Tuesday, all four of Jillian's friends sat with her in the morning before school. Most students sat in the cafeteria before the first bell, doing homework, chatting with their friends, having breakfast. Usually, Jillian either sat alone or hid somewhere - also alone. Now Jillian had friends to sit with too.

They were talking excitedly, mostly about Monday evening. Kevin hadn't been there - and had actually managed to stay fairly out of the loop about all the ghost things... Considering he had actually been possessed for a few minutes last week, he really was lost about it all. Now they were catching him up, and he seemed pretty excited to hear about it. He was pretty open to it all too - didn't even accuse them all of being insane. Jillian still didn't tell him about when he was possessed though. She thought he'd feel bad and that it wasn't necessary for him to ever know about that part.

Jillian had confessed to quite a bit of what she had been hiding from everyone for the past week though. She supposed since they were all so accepting of her - since they had opened their hearts to her and became her friends so quickly, she owed them an explanation. So she told all four of them pretty much everything. She explained fully why she had been so jumpy, why she had bruises and was late to or missed class entirely, why she became Kevin's friend and then seemed scared to talk to him off and on.

Since she felt like her bullies might just be too scared of her to ever try anything again, and because she realized how fiercely loyal her new friends seemed to be, it appeared to be a good idea to let it all out in the open. She was confident any of the four of them would defend her if need be. It seemed like Abby and Patty might even beat the shit out of someone for her if they felt they needed to.

"I'm so glad Rex is finally gone." Jillian exhaled. "It's kind of sad, because our relationship started off pretty cool. I'd been seeing him for actual months not knowing anything about him. He was a mystery I was so determined to solve. I was so excited when he finally talked to me last week, and he said he was gonna be my friend... I mean, it sure turned around fast, but for a minute, I was so hopeful he was going to be my ticket out of all the bullying."

"I'm sorry he ended up being a jerk." Erin frowned.

"But it's okay. I have you guys now, and I think the bullying might actually have gotten resolved by Rex anyway - even if his motive was kinda fucked up. Nobody's gonna be shoving me in my locker or scaring me down to the basement anymore. Nobody can try to scare me away from talking to my friends. I can go to my locker without fear of being pushed into it or having my books snatched out of my hands. I won't have to skip classes or be late to avoid being assaulted." She laughed. "Nobody's gonna threaten to throw me over the stair railing. And I can sit at lunch with everybody else now instead of hiding in the basement with a stalker ghost."

"I'm sorry, Jillian. I didn't know you had so much trouble during lunch. I didn't even think about that." Erin frowned as they sat at the long cafeteria table. "You should have said something. You could have come with me and Abby. We just get my car and go get fast food most days. We should have asked you to come."

"I didn't even know you guys until halfway through the week." Jillian laughed. "None of you knew how bad it was."

"You're always welcome in the library too. All of you are, whether there's anybody harassing you or not. The library's pretty quiet. Most kids around here aren't too into academics, so it's kinda cool that there's hardly ever anybody else there. Just stoners clicking around on the internet and sleeping. So if you ever wanna get away from everybody, the library's the place to go." Patty noted. "But I don't think the mean kids are gonna be much of a problem anymore." She nodded toward a table in the corner where Bridgette, Alexa, Renee, and Bryan were sitting.

When Jillian looked up at them, all four of them immediately looked down as though they were afraid of her.

Jillian felt a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Michael and Richard were nowhere to be seen. She'd heard a rumor that they both transferred to another school. A second rumor stated they dropped out and weren't going to finish high school at all. She didn't know which one was true. She heard another rumor about herself - that she had magic x-men powers and tried to kill them by summoning lightning into the room. Honestly, she didn't mind that rumor. Now people would leave her alone for sure.

There was another, related rumor about her bursting all the bulbs in her chemistry classroom and frying Bryan's phone with her mind. She wasn't sure if everyone thought she just destroyed stuff and and tried to kill people for no reason or if all the same people who silently watched, laughed, or purposefully ignored everything they saw all these bullies do to her acknowledged that these boys attacked her first. It didn't matter. People thought she had violent electric powers. That'd do the trick...

"A couple girls in the bathroom this morning were talking and I overheard them..." Erin noted. "There's a rumor the four of us are like a coven... Like... witches." She grimaced, wrinkling her nose.

Jillian laughed loud enough to actually snort. "Really?" She grinned.

"I heard that too." Abby frowned. "Layla Walker, whose locker is near mine - I guess she didn't realize I was right there... Anyway, she was talking to Sylvia Norris and said she heard Richard and Michael dropped out because we put some kinda hex on them to make their hair fall out after Holtzy electrocuted them with lightning bolts coming out of her fingers... Sylvia at least defended you though, Holtzy. She said something about Richard and Michael being creeps and that you probably had to defend yourself. They were saying something about knowing all along that Patty was a witch and that they should have known when she took a freshman girl under her wing that bad things were coming - that it was a coven, with Patty as the leader, but Holtzy ended up being more powerful or used her powers with less control." Abby shrugged and chuckled softly.

"That's so stupid..." Patty shook her head. "You knock out one guy's tooth because he makes a racist joke and you get accused of being a bitch - or a witch... For the rest of your high school life..."

"Hey, I'll take it." Erin laughed. "I'd rather be 'Witch' than 'Ghost Girl.'"

"Well, if it makes them leave us alone, I'm good with it." Jillian shrugged. "If they think I can electrocute and hex people, they won't bother me. Problem solved."

"That's why you kept missing P.E.?" Kevin asked with narrowed eyes and a frown, seeming to take a few extra minutes to catch on. "Because you were being bullied?"

"Yeah." Jillian shrugged. "There was a lot going on... and I guess I only told each one of you a small piece so it wouldn't look like as big of a deal as it really was. I told you what I kind of felt like I had to - like when Erin found me in the hallway without a shirt on, and I was crying and freaking out... I mean, I had to say something." She forced a laugh. "But I didn't want to tell everyone - or anyone - everything. I was scared it would make things worse."

"Maybe we could have helped if we knew more." Abby suggested.

"It's a lot more complicated than that though." Erin sympathized. "I understand why it's hard to know who to trust or how much to say. You don't want things to get worse or for people to not actually get in trouble and just end up mad. I understand that."

"It's hard to ask for help when in the past people who tried to help made things worse." Jillian agreed. "Even not on purpose... I appreciate that you were all there for me though, and maybe I really should have said more to each of you."

"Yeah. You should have. I'd have kicked Michael's and Richard's asses if I knew they tried to do that to you." Kevin frowned.

"I know." Jillian forced a smile. "I know you all would have been extremely mad at each of the people who tormented me. That was what scared me about telling you. Abby, when I first met you... when you got Michael and Bryan to leave me alone... I was so relieved." She laughed. "But I was terrified they'd do something later. Maybe that's what the thing in the bathroom was about." She wondered.

Abby breathed in a small breath. "Do you really think so? Honey, I'm so sorry..."

"No!" Jillian shook her head, her eyes widening when she saw just how guilty Abby obviously felt. "I mean, come on, Abby... They were gonna do something like that eventually... I didn't mean..." She trailed off.

"At least it's all over now." Patty stepped in. "It's no one's fault but theirs. We can't blame anyone for trying to stand up to them in some way or another and making them mad. The alternative would have been to sit back and let them do whatever they wanted."

"So you guys like legit killed a ghost last night?" Kevin changed the subject back to something more exciting and less emotionally draining.

"I guess you could call it that." Abby shrugged.

"It was awesome!" Jillian told him. "Rex - the ghost... He was like ready to kill me. Like, I think he was actually gonna do it. But then Erin sneaked up and zapped him! She saved my fucking life!"

"You kinda saved your own life too." Erin noted. "You're the one who invented the zapper and told me how to use it."

"That's true. Man... We busted his ass." She grinned.

"Will you be busting any more ghost ass?" Kevin wondered.

Jillian shrugged. As far as she knew, there weren't any more ghosts at the school. Ghosts were still interesting to her, but she didn't really know where to look for them, besides that one at the cemetery... but that one wasn't hurting anyone.

"Are you kidding? Of course we're gonna bust more ghost ass!" Abby exclaimed. "We've only just gotten started. Do you realize how many complaints there are from local businesses and individual people who say they're being haunted? We could help so many people!"

"Really?" Jillian looked over at her. "How do you know?"

"I've read through online forums - Ghosts of New York, New York Hauntings... Whatever I can find. There are a lot of people out there who are having ghost issues. It's more common than you'd think. I mean, we should know as well as anyone. Both Erin and Holtzy had a ghost kind of targeting them, and that's twenty percent of our group right here. It's a small sample size, but there's got to be tons more just like us." Abby explained.

"I don't know, guys..." Patty frowned. "I'm not sure I can commit to that."

"Why not?" Jillian frowned. "We need you! You're so good at searching those old newspapers."

"Anybody could do that." Patty exhaled.

"Not as fast as you. I was kinda lost when we were looking for stuff on Rex. You found it in one morning. We went back sixty years in like an hour." Jillian reminded her. "We need you."

Patty frowned and looked at Abby, who smiled and nodded.

"Can I help?" Kevin asked.

"Yes!" Erin answered quickly.

Abby frowned as she looked over at Erin. "Doing what?" She whispered.

Erin shrugged.

"Maybe you can find us some clients. Make some business cards or something..." Jillian suggested. "You could take phone calls and then tell us-"

"Wait. We're making like a whole business? That's a little ambitious." Erin frowned. "We just have the one ghost zapper, one ghost detector that mostly works, one that kinda works. We've only done this once. It's not like we're experts. Maybe we need to perfect our equipment a little more before getting this far into making it a profession."

"We can start small then. Seek out people on our own... Maybe even people at school. Then let them come to us if we feel like we can handle it." Jillian said. "Surely there are students at the school who have ghost problems... We just have to find them."

"We could start with like, a paranormal experiences club. We'd probably mostly get goth kids who just want to pretend, but I'm sure we'd snag a few real cases along the way." Abby suggested.

"I could make us a logo for it." Kevin suggested.

"Yeah." Jillian laughed. That seemed like a job they could let Kevin handle. Keep him busy for a while, and worst case scenario, their club would have a confusing logo. Most school clubs didn't have logos anyway.

"What would we call it? Can it be something inconspicuous? I don't want to be ridiculed for this. I've had enough of that to last a lifetime." Erin frowned.

"Well, it can't be too inconspicuous or no one will recognize what it is." Abby disagreed.

"Ghost Tits and Ghost Girl's Paranormal Experiences Club!" Jillian gasped. "Tag-line: Have a ghost-problem? Ghost Tits and Ghost Girl are on the case! We'll bust your ghost's ass faster than you can come up with a more degrading nickname for us."

"Um..." Erin forced a small laugh. "We can't call it that... I don't even know if I can associate myself publicly with-"

"Erin..." Jillian frowned. "If you let bullies dictate even the things you can express an interest in, you're giving them all the power... We don't have to call ourselves Ghost Girl and Ghost Tits... I was joking on that... But let's do what we want. Fuck any of the kids that'll make fun of us for it."

"Exactly." Patty nodded. "You guys are clearly in love with all this ghost stuff... Don't let the haters ruin it for you."

Erin smiled. "Okay." She finally agreed. "But let's try to think of something professional as a name. Something normal."

"Something normal for a club about catching ghosts." Patty laughed.

"Alright! Ghost Club!" Kevin raised his hand up for a high five. Erin reached up and grabbed it and he settled for holding hands in the air for a few seconds instead.

"Man..." Abby shook her head as she exhaled and grinned excitedly. "We're gonna fuckin' prefect this science. People need this, and we've got it."

Jillian smiled as well. "I'm so glad I met you guys. This is gonna be awesome."

"We're happy we met you too, Holtzy." Patty agreed.

Jillian smiled as she felt Patty's arm wrap around her shoulders and pull her close. She leaned against her friend's shoulder and looked around the table at her other friends. It was hard to believe this could have all happened within the span of a week, but she finally felt like she found a place where she belonged.

xxxxxx

The End.


End file.
